Deal-Breaker
by ForeverRobsessed
Summary: She'd made peace with the fact that she couldn't be his first priority. But when circumstances force them to deal with an impossible choice, they realize that sometimes, falling in love is the easy part. ***FAGE-10 gift for TwiAddictAnne***
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is my contribution to this year's** **FicAwesome Gift Exchange, aka FAGE 10: Reborn** **, written for** **TwiAddictAnne** **.**

 **Rating: M**

 **Prompt Used: Dialogue –** ** _"It's okay, you don't have to love me."_**

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 *****WARNING***: This fic is based on a subject that came to my mind as soon as I began to think about the different spins I could put on my prompt. It contains imperfect human characters. They'll make mistakes, just like we all do. I'm twisting a very popular trope into something I think is likely to happen in the real world. There will be a fair bit of drama and some angst throughout this journey, hence I've labeled the genres as such. I humbly request you to keep that in mind if you choose to read further.**

 **THIS STORY WILL BE POSTED IN ITS ENTIRETY TODAY. If you wish to hold off until I hit complete, you won't need to wait for long.**

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 *****DISCLAIMER***: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, and quotes are the property of their respective owners. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the author. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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 **CHAPTER 1**

 ** _Bella_**

"Rose?" I called, running my hands down my mint green blouse to smoothen any lingering wrinkles.

"Yeah?" Her voice echoed down the hallway seconds before she popped her head into my room.

I waved my arms around my attire, silently asking for her approval. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. Leaning against the door frame, she took me in from head to toe.

"Skinny jeans?" she grumbled a moment later. "I'm really starting to wonder if you're allergic to skirts."

I frowned. "It's cold outside."

"Woolen skirt, then. You've got the legs to rock it."

"I'm just going to his place. I don't need to be dressy. Just tell me if I look okay."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to me. "You look great, sweetie. A little boring, but still great." Her lips pulled up into a mischievous smirk.

"I'm going to wear those boots you picked out for me," I offered to appease her.

Her eyes narrowed as she considered that. "I guess it would lift up the outfit. Good plan."

"Thanks." I blew out a breath, collapsing into my chair.

"Why are you so nervous, anyway? The guy can barely take his eyes off you when you're both here in your sweats. You're going to drive him crazy tonight."

"It's not really the clothes," I confessed quietly. "I'm anxious about how this evening is going to go. But there's nothing I can do to predict that, so I guess I'm choosing to focus my energy on something I can manage to change."

"Oh, Bella," she sighed and moved to stand behind me. She squeezed my shoulders before meeting my gaze in the mirror. "She's just a kid. She'll like you. She has no reason not to, but if you're still worried, let's go and buy her a gift. Kids love that, don't they? She'll be putty in your hands once you put a Barbie in hers."

I had to laugh. "You really think it's that easy to handle kids?"

Rose simply shrugged.

"Take it from me—it's not that simple. They have a mind of their own, and it works differently than ours. You can't really predict how they'll react. Nessie . . . I taught her class for almost six months. I can't claim to know her very well, but she seemed like a clever child at the time. And that was before her parents started living separately."

"But you told me they'd filed for divorce a long time ago."

"They did. The proceedings took a while, though, and Angela lived in their home until she could find an apartment for herself. She travelled a fair bit for her job, so it wasn't too awkward. But still, Nessie must not have given up hope of them getting back together until her mother moved out."

She nodded, humming thoughtfully. "So you think she still might be adjusting to the idea that it's never going to happen."

Now it was my turn to shrug. "Maybe? I really don't know. Edward is . . . excited about this. He thinks it's the right time, and he knows his daughter best."

Rose smiled. "There you go. You trust him, so just hold on to that. It'll work out, Bella. You're the kindest person I know, but you're also fiercely determined when you want something. Remember when those kids drove you to tears by the end of your first day of teaching?"

I almost shuddered at the memory of how overwhelmed I'd been after having dealt with insolent first-graders and their mood swings for an entire day. It'd been Nessie's class that'd nearly driven me to a breakdown on the first day of my temp job. Their class teacher, Mrs. Cope had been well-loved by the students, and her sudden disappearance—owing to her ill health—had put me in their path. Not everyone had been happy with the transition. I'd come to earn their trust and respect, but it'd been a slow process. The first day, hell, the first week had been hellish as I'd tried to connect with the kids while trying to do my job of actually educating them.

Six months later, most of them had been sad to bid me goodbye on their way to second grade. I called that a victory.

The school had offered me a permanent position by the end of the term which I'd gladly accepted. My second and current batch of first-graders had been mine from their very first day. I'd cherished the experience, handling the tougher aspects with more finesse now that I had more knowledge of how to deal with them.

Rosalie's voice pulled me out of my musings. "But you didn't let that stop you. We drowned your sorrows in ice-cream, and you were ready to go face them the next day. That was thirty kids. This is just one."

"The most important one," I sighed, but placed my hand on hers. A wry smile stretched over my face. "Thanks for trying to talk me down, Rose. I hear you. I really do."

"But you can't figure out how to stop worrying. That's okay. Just be yourself. That should be enough to earn her approval." She reached out to tug at a lock of my hair. "Oh, I do love your natural waves. What about make-up, though?"

I winced at her. "Do I really need it?" She cocked a well-sculpted eyebrow in response, and I didn't bother to fight. "Just keep it light, please?"

"You got it!"

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, letting Rose do her thing. Her fingers moved expertly over my skin while my thoughts wandered to the moment five months ago that'd led me to this evening.

 _I glanced at my watch and let out a frustrated sigh. It was already ten minutes past the time we'd agreed upon for this meeting. I was tired and cranky, itching to get home and spend the weekend in my pajamas. But standing in the way of my elaborate plans was a meeting with Vanessa Cullen's mother._

 _I gathered my papers into a stack and shuffled things around my desk as I waited. Five more minutes ticked by as I waited, each one adding to my mounting irritation. I was just about to stand and make my way out of the room when the door flew open._

 _A squeak left my throat as I whirled around, startled. The first thing I saw was a head full of unruly copper hair. A tall, lean man dashed into the room, jade eyes wide and frantic as they scanned their surroundings. They calmed somewhat when they landed on me. In fact, his entire body seemed to relax when he realized I was still here. His skin was pale, just his cheeks flushed with the exertion of rushing here._

 _"I'm so terribly sorry for making you wait," he started saying as he entered the room. His voice was deep, his long fingers twitching before he pushed them through his hair. My eyes followed their movement reflexively before I made a conscious effort to turn my attention to where it should be. He went on talking. "I am a surgical resident. I was stuck at the hospital. My wi—uh, Angela was going to come see you, but her grandmother's health took a sudden turn for the worse. They had to rush her to the ER, so she asked me to be here to meet with you about Ness—uh, Vanessa. I would've gotten here earlier, but I didn't really kno—"_

 _I rose to my feet, halting his breathless diatribe. With a wave of my hand, I motioned for him to take a seat. "It's alright, Mr. Cullen. I can understand sometimes circumstances are beyond our control. I hope your wife's grandmother recovers soon."_

 _"Thank you. I appreciate your waiting for me."_

 _I sat in my own chair and pulled a stack of papers toward me, finding the one I needed right at the top. "I don't think we've met before. I've only spoken to Mrs. Cullen on several occasions."_

 _He blew out a breath. The action pushed his lips into a pout, clouding my focus for a moment. "That's right. My schedule has been crazy for the past three years, so Angela has been on top of things here. Although, she—uh, we're in the process of getting a divorce. She has a new job that requires her to travel a lot, and I'm in my final year, so I've actually got a few subordinates who can cover for me sometimes. You might see me here again depending on how things work out."_

 _I blinked at him, not quite sure of an appropriate response to that._

 _"Alright," I said eventually. "That's . . . yeah. There are just a couple of weeks to go in the school year, so I don't think there'll be any more such . . . meetings. Anyway, I called you in because of a matter with Vanessa's final assignment. I created this worksheet, and it included questions about everything the students learned in the past year, just to review their basics. I also wanted to give the parents an overview of where their children stood at the end of this year."_

 _"Right. That makes sense. Is something wrong with Vanessa's work?"_

 _I plucked it out of the pile and placed it between us on the desk. "She has done well in math. She could use a little more work in language, but it's nothing to worry about. The issue . . . well, like I said, I wanted the parents to see this assignment once I'd graded it. I'd asked the kids to make sure their parents signed the worksheets before they submitted it back to me."_

 _I watched his brow furrow. "I don't think I've signed anything like that. Maybe Ang—"_

 _"I know you didn't, and I know your wife, um, I'm sorry, I mean—" I stopped my ramblings and just pushed the paper toward him. "Why don't you just look at it yourself?"_

 _My gaze remained glued on his face while he perused the sheet. His nose crinkled the tiniest bit, his lips pursing in concentration. I could pinpoint the exact moment he realized what the problem was by the way his mouth fell open. I had to suppress a giggle at the bewilderment that flashed across his face._

 _He reached out to touch it, his fingers ghosting over the bottom of the page where in place of a parent's signature, the word DAD was etched in Vanessa's scrawl._

 _Mr. Cullen's eyes were wide when they met mine. He opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut a second later. He sneaked another glance at his supposed signature before looking back up at me. He shifted in his chair, coughing once to disguise a noise that sounded way too much like a snort. The crinkles around his eyes gave him away._

 _"It's alright," I allowed. "It's a bit funny."_

 _His lips quirked up in a smile he struggled and failed to hide. "I'm totally messing this up, aren't I? Showing up late, spouting my life story to you, and finding my daughter's fake signature as being funny. Three strikes."_

 _I shook my head, chuckling at the rueful tone of his voice. "If it helps, I laughed for a whole minute when I first saw it."_

 _"I'll speak to her about this," he sighed, threading a hand through his hair again in what I was now coming to recognize as a nervous tic. "She has always worked hard to do well in school. She enjoys it, too. I think the fact that she didn't do her best on this assignment made her nervous about showing it to us. I'm sorry about the signature. We'll be paying closer attention in the future, I can assure you."_

 _"Kids do these things. Talking to her about it seems like a good plan. I would've done it myself, actually, but, uh—Vanessa's mother has always insisted she be kept in the loop," I explained, wording myself tactfully. "She once told me she would prefer that even the little things be brought to her attention, so I was just trying to do that."_

 _"Oh, I understand what you're saying. She can be very insistent about the things she wants," he muttered knowingly. "Thank you for meeting with me, Miss Swan. I appreciate it. I'll speak to Nessie today. This won't happen again."_

 _"It's no problem." I stood, and he followed suit. "You can take the assignment with you and have a look at it. Vanessa can bring it back to me—with your actual signature—next week."_

 _"Of course." He picked it up and folded it carefully before tucking it into the pocket of his jacket. He held out his hand. I took it without a second thought, only to find myself startled when his fingers closed around mine. The soft warmth of his skin against my own sent an inexplicable thrill travelling along my arm. My eyes snapped up to his, only to find them already intent on my face. I could feel the heat of my blush spread through my cheeks when he squeezed my hand._

 _We stayed like that for a moment before I was able to regain my senses. I cleared my throat, and he dropped his hold on my hand like he'd been burned. We said rushed, almost awkward goodbyes, afraid and unprepared to acknowledge whatever it was that'd passed between us._

 _He turned around to give me one last nod before he walked out of the door. It was only when his footsteps had stopped echoing down the hallway that I sagged back into my chair._

He'd called me the day after his daughter's last day in my class. I'd answered the phone cautiously, frowning at the unknown number, but the first time I'd heard him say my name, my heart had nearly jumped out my chest. A request to meet him for coffee had soon led to dinner and a movie. Getting to know him better had only left me craving for more. Text messages and calls had inundated my summer, and each moment spent with him had left me smiling and excited for the next time.

We'd been together for almost four months now—and they'd been the best four months of my entire life. His divorce had been finalized the day before he'd asked me out, but we'd kept our relationship on the downlow. I hadn't minded though I knew it'd eaten away at him to treat me like a secret.

We weren't though—not really.

I knew he'd told Angela about us last month, and she'd accepted it well enough. Their divorce had been amicable with no lingering bitterness, and they shared custody of their daughter. I was grateful for the situation, knowing very well it could've been a lot worse. We'd been out and about in public—eating out, walking in parks, meeting up with friends.

Basically, there was only one person in the world who mattered to us, and from whom we'd gone to great lengths to keep our relationship a secret.

 _Vanessa_

And that was about to change tonight . . . whether for the better or for the worse, remained to be seen.

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 **A/N: Any guesses about the trope I'm trying to flip?**

 **I'd like to thank my pre-readers, SassYNoleS and Pamela, and my beta, EdwardsFirstKiss for their help in making this happen. Any mistakes that remain are mine—especially the deliberate ones in certain dialogues.**

 **Big thanks to Diane (obsessedtwibrarian) for creating my lovely banner and to Thats-So-Alex for always being there for me.  
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 **See you soon!**

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 **Pics and updates: Facebook group—** ** _Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed_** **. (Link is on my profile)**

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 **If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange, visit the Facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the community linked below to your alerts to get the stories directly into your inbox.**

 **www dot fanfiction dot net /community/FAGE-Reborn/129216**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for your reviews. I'll be replying to all of them but it might have to wait until tomorrow, given that my spare time is going to be used up in posting this entire story today. I have ten chapters plus an epilogue lined up for you, so buckle up.**

 **A note of thanks to my team** **for all their help and to TwiAddictAnne for choosing a wonderful prompt. I'll be using it later in the story.**

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 **CHAPTER 2**

 ** _Edward_**

I pulled the curtain to the side and squinted through the window at the car standing in my driveway. I couldn't help but sigh when I took note of the driver's body hunched over the steering wheel. My hands were sticky with remnants of sauce, so I washed them quickly and grabbed a dishtowel. As I wiped, I wondered if I should go out there.

After a moment of thought and no sign of anyone at the door, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I really didn't want to push her when she was nervous. But if we wanted to eat dinner soon, we needed to get a move on. I'd just stepped onto the porch when the car's door flew open.

Bella stumbled slightly, but regained her footing quickly before she straightened up. She slammed the door behind her, then turned toward the house, her eyes finding me instantly.

My lips pulled up into a smile at the sight of her. I recognized the blouse she was wearing—she'd worn it on our third date a few months ago. The reason I remembered it so vividly was because I knew it had a delicate, shimmering strap holding the fabric together at her left shoulder. All through dinner, I hadn't been able to take my eyes off the way it glimmered over her pale skin, drawing my attention to the graceful sweep of her collarbones and the arch of her neck. I'd wanted nothing more than to explore that soft skin with my lips, and later that night, I'd done just that . . . among other things.

Today, though, Bella had paired it with a light jacket, for which I was grateful.

Entertaining inappropriate thoughts while at the dinner table with my daughter didn't seem like the brightest of ideas.

I shook off the mental images of Bella writhing under me and stepped forward to greet her instead. She gave me a small, hesitant smile that did nothing to hide her nervousness.

"Hey, beautiful." I leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hi. I hope I'm not too early. I just couldn't deal with sitting idly at home for another minute."

She reached out to take my hand, and I laced our fingers together. "Everything will be fine, Bella."

"Okay," she breathed. "Okay. What did you tell Vanessa?"

"That we're going to have a very important guest over for dinner, and that I'd be very happy if she joined us so that you could meet her."

"And what did she say?"

"I'm paraphrasing, but she basically told me to cut the crap and just spit it out if I'd invited my girlfriend over to the house." I couldn't help but smirk at the memory. Bella, on the other hand, gasped, mirroring my own reaction when my daughter had uttered those words to me. "She has been teasing me throughout the day and even helped make our special dessert for you."

"So she's not angry?"

I shook my head, raising my hand to stroke her cheek. "No, sweetheart. She's not mad. She seems jumpy, but not in a bad way. I think she's a little nervous, and she's trying not to show it. You don't have to worry so much. She has no reason to dislike you, Bella."

"I guess not. It's just . . . She knows me already. She knows my name and what I do. I hope she won't take offense to the fact that we hid the truth from her for so long."

"Because we had a few things to figure out for ourselves before we brought her into the equation," I replied calmly. "Let's not look at this from an adult point of view. She's only seven. I don't think her thought process would be complicated enough to go down that path."

Bella let out a sigh. She opened her mouth to say something, but then seemed to think the better of it. Her lips pressed together in a tight line as she looked at the house.

"I guess there's no point in procrastinating. Let's just go inside and find out."

I smiled and squeezed her palm. "Sounds like a plan. I'm here, okay?"

"Yeah." Her grip on my hand redoubled, but I didn't complain. I watched as she drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly, before we started to make our way toward the house.

Nessie was nowhere to be seen when we walked in. The last I'd heard from her was half-an-hour ago when she was bounding up the stairs to get ready. I called out for her while Bella deposited her shoes in the corner.

"Coming, Daddy!" Nessie's excited squeal carried easily through the house.

I smiled at Bella, taking her hand once again to reassure her while we waited. Less than a minute later, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet making their way toward us. My heart leapt into my throat like always when my daughter hurried down the stairs, regardless of my countless requests for her to be more careful. I breathed easy only when she had completed her little adventure unscathed.

Her wide, hazel eyes met mine, and she grinned. She craned her head, turning this way and that, and I realized that I was obstructing her view of our guest. I stepped aside, tugging at Bella's hand to bring her to my side.

Nessie's gaze swiveled to her face. I held my breath, waiting for her reaction.

A myriad of emotions flashed across her little face as she recognized Bella—shock and disbelief, followed by a hint of the anger that Bella had predicted. It passed quickly, though, before her features twisted into a frown.

"Come over here, Ness," I told her, trying to diffuse the sudden tension in the room. I could feel Bella's body go rigid next to me, and I silently willed her to hold on to her composure. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

My eyes never left my daughter's face as she slowly made her way over to us. I was trying to assess her mood while simultaneously holding my panic at bay. She didn't smile and remained solemn as I made the introductions.

"I know Miss Swan," she said eventually. Her voice held a strange, flat note I'd never heard before.

Bella squeezed my hand before she let go of it and stepped forward. She held it out for Nessie instead.

"That's true, Vanessa," she said pleasantly. I knew Nessie wouldn't detect the slight tremor in her tone, but I certainly did. "But you can call me Bella now. It's really nice to see you again."

I gritted my teeth and waited until Nessie reached out to shake Bella's hand. She dropped it quickly after muttering a quiet and succinct greeting. It didn't escape my notice that she didn't correct Bella and ask her to use her nickname even though that was her usual practice any time she met someone new. I struggled to quieten the voice inside my head that told me this was a bad sign.

"Well, let's have dinner, shall we?" I smiled as best as I could. "I'm starving. What about you, Ness?" I tried to engage her, but received a shrug in response.

"I could eat," she told me.

I turned to Bella, certain that my eyes reflected my complete astonishment and helplessness in this situation. I had no idea what'd gotten into my daughter's head. She'd always been friendly and open, even when meeting strangers. My mind ran around in pointless circles, trying to figure out what'd happened to transform my happy little girl into this sullen, distant version of herself.

For God's sake, she'd sounded so eager only a few minutes ago. Why did the sight of Bella turn her attitude completely on its head?

Bella took mercy on me and put on a grin. "I haven't had anything since breakfast. I'm definitely hungry. I can't wait to find out what you've made today."

I placed my hand at the small of her back and pointed toward the dining room. "This way."

Nessie bit her lip, observing us for a moment. Then, almost abruptly, she turned around and briskly walked away.

The air seemed thick with an underlying tension as we settled into the chairs. Nessie and I had already set the table ahead of time, so all that remained was to serve the dishes.

I tried to catch Nessie's eyes as I piled her favorite meal onto her plate. She looked at me for just a second, averting her gaze quickly afterward. I bit the inside of my cheek to stifle my frustration before passing the bowl to Bella.

An hour passed in a similar fashion—any attempts from Bella and me at initiating conversation were met with polite but concise answers from my daughter. We talked about her school, her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Marshall, her friends—a few of who Bella knew from last year—but she refused to volunteer any information that was more than absolutely necessary. I tried to prompt her to ask any questions she might have about our relationship. Her hands twitched when I promised to answer them as honestly as I could. For a second, I felt as though I'd pierced whatever wall she had built.

But she looked down at her plate, an almost imperceptible grimace twisting her lips, and I knew I'd lost my chance. She shook her head, focusing all her attention on twisting the spaghetti around her fork. Never in my life had I been so damn stumped. Bella's shoulders sagged, her spirit dampening with each moment that was suffused with nothing but tense silence from Nessie.

I'd only waited this long to introduce them to each other because I'd wanted to be sure of my feelings for Bella before I brought her into my daughter's life. I'd imagined a lot of ways this evening could go, but none of them had considered the possibility of this behavior from Nessie, especially when there seemed to be no sound reason for it.

I couldn't figure out a way to make things right. Scolding Nessie would get us nowhere—whatever the reasons for her disapproval, they would only be prodded along if I forced her to make more of an effort to be friendly with Bella.

A step backward was something I couldn't afford.

Despite the way things had panned out, a certain part of me had hoped that bringing out Nessie's favorite chocolate pie for dessert—the one we'd learned to cook and then perfect together—would thaw her out.

"This is amazing," Bella gushed after her first bite. "I don't think I've ever had a more delicious slice of pie. In fact, I doubt I can stop at one."

"Good thing we have loads," I answered, and then shot Nessie a wink. She gave me a bland smile and then pushed her chair back.

"I'm sorry, but can I be excused? I'm finished with dinner."

"But you just had the one slice, honey. You always take two. Here, I'll cut you another one."

She shook her head. "No, Daddy. I'm full. I—I, um, I need to get started on my homework."

I pulled in a deep breath and resisted the urge to expel it in a harsh sigh. "Maybe you could do it tomorrow? You've got the whole weekend after all."

"Mrs. Marshall gave us a lot of assignments, and I should start, otherwise I won't finish."

I was about to argue, but stopped when I felt Bella's hand on my knee.

"Alright, fine. Go on. Let me know if you need any help, okay? Bella will be leaving soon, so you wanna say goodbye to her?"

"Thank you for having me over, Vanessa," Bella said softly. "It was really nice to spend this evening with you."

Nessie bit her lip and nodded once. "Good night, Bella."

The room felt just as stifled and oppressive, if not more, after her departure. Bella was quiet as she helped me clean up, and I couldn't find the right words to salvage what remained of the evening.

It wasn't long before I was walking her back to her car. She pulled her keys out of her bag before turning to me with a small smile.

"Thanks for a lovely dinner."

I blew out a breath and drew her into my arms, hating the distance between us. She leaned her head against my shoulder, but left her arms at her side.

"I'm so sorry. I have no idea what's wrong with her. I'll talk to her. I'm sorry, Bella, I don—"

"Shhh," she interrupted me. "It's okay. It was the first time. We'll—We'll try again. I think . . . maybe she just needs time to absorb it before she can accept it. I can be patient."

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to her forehead, lingering there for a long moment.

"I hope you're right," I whispered against her skin.

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 **A/N: Hmm.**

 **Yes, POVs of the chapters will be shifting alternately between Edward and Bella **—** except at one place. I'll mention it right at the top, and even if you happen to miss it, the first few lines of the chapters should clear it up for you. **

**Pics and updates: Facebook group—** ** _Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed_** **. (Link is on my profile)**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 ** _Bella_**

The next time I saw Edward and Vanessa was a week after the dinner debacle—a phrase lovingly coined by Rose after she'd had to deal with my glum disposition when I'd gotten home.

I'd spoken to Edward every day on the phone, and each time, I'd resisted prying into any conversation he might've had with Vanessa. I listened to whatever he offered voluntarily, but there wasn't much to go on. From what I'd learned, Vanessa hadn't been forthcoming when he'd asked her about the reason behind her reticence. She'd shrugged off his questions that night and had done her best to avoid any discussions on the matter since. Edward had been swamped with double shifts at the hospital for the past two days, so she'd spent them with her mother. Now that he finally had a day-off, they were going to the zoo. Edward had called last night to invite me to join them.

"Maybe we made too big a deal out of it," he'd mused. "If we could spend a fun day together doing something she really enjoys, perhaps she'll get over whatever it is that's bothering her."

I'd had my doubts about interrupting their father-daughter time, and I'd expressed the same to him. Edward assured me that he was taking Vanessa out to brunch first. He figured they would have enough time to themselves before I caught up with them in the afternoon.

I agreed that meeting in a public place could make the whole thing seem less monumental. Maybe that's what was needed—to take the pressure off Vanessa. I felt hopeful as I made me way along the wooden bridge. Edward had texted me they were hanging around near the bird sanctuary, so I followed the arrows that would lead me there.

I found them standing in front of one of the displays, Edward holding Vanessa up in his arms to give her a better view. Their heads were bent together, the reddish-copper glints in both their hair catching my eye instantly. Even from a distance, I saw the smile on Vanessa's face as she clapped her hands in delight.

Maybe today _would_ be different after all.

There was a spring in my step as I made my way toward them. Edward had his back to me, so it was Vanessa who noticed me first. She'd turned her head, mid-laugh when she spotted me just a few feet away. I lifted my hand in a wave and smiled.

Any ounce of hope I had held on to just a few seconds ago came crashing down when her face fell. Her eyes clouded over, and my own smile dropped at her obvious displeasure with my arrival.

Edward said something I couldn't hear, still unaware of my presence, but Vanessa was too preoccupied to listen or respond. He turned to see what'd caught her attention. His face lit up with a smile when he saw me standing there.

"Bella! You made it."

"Sure did. Are you guys having a good time?"

"We've seen a few interesting things, haven't we, Ness?"

"Yeah. Very interesting. Can we go see the sea lions now?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of petulance that made Edward sigh.

"Sure. That's on the other end of the zoo, though, so why don't we start walking in that direction, but keep enjoying what comes along the way, yeah?" He leaned down to place her back on her feet, but she clung to his shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"I want to stay up here."

"Aren't you getting a little too old for this, kiddo?"

"Nope," she announced, sneaking a sideways glance in my direction.

Edward looked at me, too, and rolled his eyes before he hoisted her back up. "Fine. Just for a little while, though, okay? My back's going to be sore otherwise."

Vanessa smiled at her victory and then turned her attention back to the animals.

We walked slowly, pausing to take a closer look at whatever caught Vanessa's interest. She seemed happy enough, gasping and laughing now and then. She ignored my presence as much as possible. I trailed along after them, trying to squash the awkwardness that made me feel like an intruder. Edward kept including me in their conversations, but without Vanessa's cooperation, his efforts did nothing to soothe my worries. I gripped the strap of my purse tightly and ignored the hitch in my breath as we made our way toward the next enclosure.

The sight of her favorite sea lions cheered Vanessa up a fair bit. She didn't even mind when Edward set her back down on her feet. She ran ahead of us to take a closer look.

As we trailed a few steps behind, Edward took my hand and kissed the back of it. His lips lingered over my knuckles before he apologized for not greeting me properly. The look in his eyes as he said it was grossly inappropriate with little, innocent pairs of eyes around, so I shrugged him off with a giggle.

"Daddy!" Vanessa called, and we hurried to follow her before we lost sight of her in the crowd.

It'd been a while since I'd visited the zoo, so I decided to make the most of it. With Vanessa otherwise occupied, Edward was free to wrap his arms around my waist. He placed his chin over my shoulder as we watched the sea lions perform tricks with their trainers.

The children around us clapped and laughed, thoroughly enjoying the show. Even Vanessa seemed too enthralled to be piqued at us. She smiled in our direction every time she turned around, only to whirl back quickly so that she wouldn't miss anything. I couldn't help but grin back at her. Edward dropped a soft kiss on my cheek, possibly feeling the same hope that was budding inside me.

We spent a couple of hours exploring before making our way out of the gates and toward the parking lot.

"Why don't we get milkshakes at Jamie's before heading home?" Edward suggested, ruffling Vanessa's hair. "Maybe you could show Bella your favorite game, hmm?" He turned to me to explain. "It's a diner close to our house. We've been going there since Nessie was a baby. The owner, Jamie always treats her like a princess. He has a collection of puzzles, board games, and whatnot to keep kids entertained. Nessie always finds a new one when we go there."

I smiled. "That sounds . . ." My voice trailed off when I looked at Vanessa, her head bowed down, but the irritation on her face unmistakable. One of her hands was clutched in Edward's, but the other one was balled into a tight fist. The tension in her small frame—one that'd been missing for the majority of the day—had returned in full force, and I had to swallow thickly through the lump in my throat. I averted my gaze for a moment, struggling to compose myself as I realized we were probably back to square one.

It took a moment before I was able to meet Edward's gaze again. "That sounds amazing. But I think . . . I think I'm worn out from all the walking we've done. Vanessa must be tired, too. You guys carry on. I—I'll see you later."

Edward frowned, reached out to touch my arm. "Are you sure? Come with us, just for a little while."

"Daddy," Vanessa piped up, chasing away my own reply. "Daddy, she's right. I'm tired. Let's just go home."

Edward stared at her for a moment, and the taut line of his jaw told me that whatever came out of his mouth next would probably only make things worse.

"Vanessa, I'm not going to li—"

"It's alright," I rushed to interrupt him, giving Vanessa a small smile. "It was a long day, but we had fun, right? Perhaps we can go to the diner another time."

"Bella, please don—"

"It's fine, Edward," I assured him, using the last of my composure. "Bye, Vanessa."

I spun on my feet before my tears escaped from my eyes and walked away from them.

The drive back home was a blur as I steered the car with one hand and dashed away the moisture on my cheeks with the other. I managed to hold the sobs at bay until I reached home, though. It was only when Rose opened the door and frowned at me with unconcealed concern in her eyes that I let myself break down.

She held up my shuddering form and led me to the couch. Her slender arms wrapped around me tightly as I poured out a week's worth of despair into the tears that soaked her shirt. She said nothing for a while, but stroked my hair and rubbed my back to assure me she was there for me.

"I don't know what to do," I murmured brokenly once the worst of the deluge had passed. "I love him, Rose. I love him more than anything."

"I know, Bella. I know."

"But Nessie . . . Vanessa . . . she hates me. I don't know why. I've tried so hard, but she won't even talk to me. I don't know what I did to deserve this."

"Nothing," Rosalie assured me, her voice strong and resolute. "You did nothing wrong. That kid probably has unresolved issues from the divorce, but it's not your fault. It's not your fault, Bella."

I pulled back to meet her gaze. "But I'm the one who's going to lose him. This . . . This is a deal-breaker for him. He hasn't said it, but I know it will be. Of course it will. He's a good father. He'd never be with me if it hurts his daughter. He won't choose me, Rose . . . and I'd never be able to ask him to make that choice anyway." I clutched her hands in mine. "What can I do? Tell me. What do I do now?"

This time, she had no answers. She drew me closer instead, resting my head on her shoulder and placing hers over mine. Her hand curled tight around my shoulders as I tumbled down the rabbit hole of my thoughts, unable to imagine anything but the worst-case scenario.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 ** _Edward_**

"Are you doing okay?"

I chugged down the last of my coffee before turning to Bella with a sigh. One of her hands was stretched out on the table between us, inches away from my own, as though she wasn't sure if I would welcome the gesture. I frowned at her reticence and didn't hesitate to place my palm over hers.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. Things have been crazy around here since Dr. Snow retired. The new department head is actually the father of one of the other residents in our department. He's a good surgeon, but a little too ignorant and biased when it comes to his daughter," I told her, rolling my eyes. "She's a brat who has found the license to slack on the job now that Daddy's going to be the one to supervise her. But the patients are not going anywhere, so the rest of us have to buckle down and get things done. Then there are the boards coming up. We have to devote enough time to study for them, too."

Bella winced. "That sounds terrible. Isn't there any way to report her? I mean, surely her father would have something to say about her work ethic if he knew what she was doing."

"I'm not sure if it'll work out. We're just getting to know the man, and so far, he seems completely oblivious to all her faults. Regardless, he's here to stay for at least a couple of years according to his contract. I don't want to create any friction that might come back and bite me in the ass, you know? We're handling it for now. If things get worse . . . I guess she won't be able to hide behind us for long anyway. Let's see."

"Alright." She squeezed my fingers and smiled softly. "I just worry about you. You look exhausted."

I chuckled, bringing our joint hands to my lips. I dropped a kiss on her knuckles. "Baby, I've been dealing with exhaustion for a decade now. I'll be fine. I'll just be a little whiny now and then until the schedule settles back down."

"I can handle that," she replied through a giggle.

I kissed her hand again before releasing it so that she could have her lunch. It was a poor excuse of a meal, but we hadn't been able to see each other as much as I would've liked in the past few days. So when Bella had asked if she could visit me at the hospital, I'd jumped at the chance of spending my lunch break with her, despite the crappy cafeteria food. The only thing that was any good was the coffee; I'm sure every employee here sent up a prayer of gratitude for that small mercy.

I looked at Bella as she bit into her sandwich, truly looked at her, taking in the light, but noticeable circles under her eyes and the pale complexion of her skin, and wondered if I wasn't the only one who was the worse for wear.

"Are _you_ okay?"

Her eyes flashed up to mine, wide and disconcerted. She let out a sigh, placing her sandwich back on her plate.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I've tried to keep myself busy and not worry too much, but I can't immerse myself in work all day."

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I never meant for this to happen. I still don't know _how_ it has come to this."

"Have you had a chance to talk to her?"

I looked away from her concerned gaze, raking a hand through my hair to buy myself a few seconds as I struggled to find a response. I _had_ spoken to Nessie the day after our trip to the zoo. She'd seemed cheerful in the morning, so I'd broached the topic. She'd clammed up within seconds, but when I'd stood my ground, she'd peeked up at me through somber eyes.

 _"I just don't like her, Daddy. Do I have to?"_

Her words had cut me to the core. They'd left me reeling, completely at a loss for words.

I couldn't have said yes.

I couldn't have said no.

And I couldn't sit here now, looking into Bella's eyes and tell her how my daughter truly felt about her.

"I tried to talk to her. She's . . . she's not budging. I don't know what to say to her," I sighed. "She hasn't said much, and I think it's because she doesn't have a solid reason for her behavior. Maybe it's the changes in her life that're taking a toll. I'm doing my best to get her to open up. It's not like anything has ever happened between the two of you, right? Maybe an argument in class?"

Her brow furrowed as she considered that. "Nothing that I can recall."

"Then it has to be something else—maybe it doesn't have anything to do with you," I tried to lie, despite knowing that she'd see right through it. "I'm working on it, Bella. I promise. I'm going easy on her because I don't want her to distance herself from me. I'm afraid that if I scold her or force her to talk, it could end up making things worse."

"You're probably right about that," Bella said before averting her eyes. "Can I . . . can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"You won't be mad?" she persisted.

I ducked my head to hold her gaze. "Ask me whatever you want. I promise to keep my cool."

She drew in a deep breath before speaking. "Angela knows about us."

It wasn't a question, but she fell silent for a few seconds, so I nodded anyway.

"You don't think . . . Angela doesn't have a problem with me, does she? We've always been on good terms whenever I saw her at school, but these are . . . well, the circumstances are different now. If Vanessa thinks her mother doesn't like me . . ." she trailed off uncertainly.

I took her hand in mine again. "Listen to me. Angela has known about us for a few weeks now. She was surprised when I first told her but once she got over it, she wished us well." I paused for a beat. "We were young when we met, Bella—reckless and stupid and infatuated with the idea of being grown-ups. We got married too quickly and then Nessie came along. I don't regret my past at all. It's just that Angela and I grew up to be very different people who simply didn't work together anymore. I know ours is a rare situation but believe me—she has no residual resentment toward me for what happened between us. I think I can safely say that we're both happier with our lives now that we don't have to hold on to a relationship that was broken beyond repair. She's not bitter about the divorce. Even if she were though, despite our differences, I don't believe that she's the sort of person who'd pass it on to Nessie and poison her mind."

Bella's eyes welled up. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to badmouth her. It was a stupid thought that entered my head, and I couldn't get rid of it. Forget I said anything."

I shook my head and leaned closer, cupping her cheek in my palm. "You don't have to apologize, sweetheart. I know what you meant, and you don't know Angela, so I can see why your mind went there. I'm not angry. I understand where you're coming from, and that's why, I'm going to speak to Angela about this."

"You don't have to—"

"I know that. I'm not going to accuse her of anything. But maybe Nessie would feel more comfortable speaking to her about this. Perhaps she already has. I wouldn't ask Angela to break her trust, but if I can get even the slightest insight into what's going on in Nessie's head, it's worth a shot."

"If you think that's best."

I released her face and stood, walking around the table to slide in next to her on the bench. With my arm curled around her shoulders, I pulled her into my side. She expelled a deep sigh and pressed her forehead into my chest.

We stayed like that until my time was up, and I had no choice but to get back to work. Mindful of the surrounding audience, I kept our goodbye short, kissing her lightly on the lips, even though I longed to pull her into my arms and hold her close until all her worries melted away.

I was glad we had gotten this opportunity to talk amidst our busy schedules. We'd aired out a few of our concerns, but I knew there were more that remained unsaid.

I couldn't bear the thought of losing Bella.

I couldn't even consider doing anything that would break my little girl's heart and her faith in me.

At the moment, there seemed to be no way out of the mess we found ourselves in without someone getting hurt. Watching the strain our situation was putting on Bella made me wonder how long it'd be before she gave up on me.

Would I even be in a position to ask for her forgiveness if she did?

Where would that leave me with my daughter?

Completely at a loss, I walked down to the nurses' station in search of a distraction to drown out the chaos in my head for a few hours.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi. Remember that warning? If you don't, check it out at the top of the first chapter now. It'll help you keep your faith in me. I hope you do. :)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 ** _Bella_**

Time passed in a strange limbo over the next few weeks. Some days went by in the blink of an eye, usually ending with me too tired to keep myself conscious past nine. Others were less hectic, but that just meant there was more time for me to dwell on how the life that'd seemed pretty perfect to me just a few months ago had taken such a relentless turn for the worse.

The beginning of December marked a significant change in Edward's life—Vanessa was going to move in with her mother for the entire month. Living in the same city gave them the advantage of using their shared custody in a way that fit both Angela's and Edward's schedule, with minimal interruption to Vanessa's routine. Angela's new apartment was no more than twenty minutes away from Edward's house, so transporting Vanessa to school wasn't a problem. When Angela had learned that she would not have to travel out of the city for the remainder of the year, she'd wanted to spend as much uninterrupted time with her daughter as possible.

And so, after securing a promise from Edward to call her and visit her as often as he could, Vanessa packed up her essentials and drove away with her mother.

The arrangement meant that I was more welcome at Edward's place than I'd ever been. We spent almost every day together, sleeping and waking in each other's embrace even if we hadn't been able to find enough free time during the day. He kissed me good morning and playfully chased me into the shower. I made sure to record his favorite shows when he couldn't watch them and cradled his exhausted body in my arms when he'd return after a long shift.

In my darkest moments, I found myself grateful for Vanessa's absence until guilt and shame took over my mind, and I tried to squash the selfish thoughts I'd never dare to voice.

Getting a taste of what our life _could_ be like was like finding my own little piece of heaven.

Knowing that it could be snatched away from me was a torment akin to hell.

Despite our efforts to ignore the issues that threatened our future, I don't think either of us could deny the undercurrent of uncertainty and tension that loomed over us like a silent specter. I couldn't even try to define it—maybe it hid in the moments when he was lost in thought, maybe it lingered in his mind when he'd hug me a tad too tightly, maybe he saw it in my eyes when I'd give in to my fears for a few unguarded moments during the day.

We did our best move past it—going out for a movie or two, joining friends for dinner and drinks, reading to each other, curled up in bed on the nights we stayed in—but still, the shift in our dynamic was undeniable.

I wondered if it was a glimpse into the future that we'd have, in the unlikely event of Edward going against his daughter's wishes to be with me. During the nights he was stuck at the hospital, I often lay awake for a long while, alone and restless in my own bed, pondering if Edward sensed it, too.

If he did, I doubted he liked what he saw any more than me.

Christmas morning dawned bright and sunny, and it was the first time in a while that I truly felt my spirits rise. I breathed in the cool morning breeze, talking myself into putting all the negativity aside for the day. There was more than enough time for me to give in to it tomorrow and thereafter.

Edward had the day off, barring any emergencies. He was going to spend a few hours at Angela's place so that Vanessa could enjoy Christmas morning with both her parents. I'd smiled when he'd brought it up, wondering if it would be okay with me. It'd been easy to reassure him because I'd been completely honest when I'd told him I was fine with it. It was a simple joy that'd mean the world to a little girl, and I could never begrudge her that. He was going to come back home later in the afternoon, so we'd have the rest of the day to spend together anyway.

I'd wanted to cook a traditional festive dinner, and Edward suggested that I do so in his kitchen. It made sense, given how much larger it was compared to mine. I spent the morning with Rose at our apartment before she left to join her family across the town. She invited me to come along, but I declined and told her about my plans with Edward. Relieved that I wouldn't be alone, she kissed my cheek before we said our goodbyes.

I'd already bought the ingredients I needed, so I grabbed the bags and drove over to Edward's house. I unlocked the door with the key he'd given me. Once inside, I turned the heat up, discarded my coat, and then made my way into the kitchen. The hours passed easily as I lost myself in cooking, humming mindless tunes as I chopped, peeled, baked, and seared.

My phone rang about the time I was expecting news from Edward, so I rushed across the room to grab it.

"Bella," he said as soon as I'd picked up. The tone of his voice raised the hairs on the back of my neck and made my muscles go rigid.

"Bella, Nessie's not feeling well. She has a stomach ache. We had to call a pediatrician for a house visit—one of Angela's neighbors. She was fine earlier in the morning. I don't know what happened all of a sudden."

I breathed through my parched mouth. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I examined her myself first, but I couldn't find anything wrong. Then the pediatrician checked her out. He doesn't think it's serious. Maybe she just ate too much? She doesn't have a fever, and she's not throwing up or anything. She's just miserable. She's refusing to let go of Angela . . . or me."

"You're not coming," I whispered, nodding involuntarily even though he couldn't see me.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I don't know what to do. Every time I leave the room, she cries."

"No. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, of course you need to stay there." I blinked back the moisture in my eyes. "I hope she gets well soon. Did the doctor prescribe something?"

"Yeah, Angela is heading out to the pharmacy now."

"You—you stay with Vanessa, then. Don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Bella, I'm so sor—"

I cut him off. "I'm just going to head back home, okay? I'll put the food in the fridge for you and maybe take some of it with me. Don't worry about anything here."

"Bel—"

"Edward, go sit with Vanessa. She needs you right now. We can talk later, okay? Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he replied quietly, and I hung up two seconds later.

I stood there for a long moment, phone in hand, feet frozen in place, while my throat grew tight. My breaths were uneven, and my fingers curled tighter around my cell until my nails dug into my palms.

A little while later, the oven beeped, bringing me out of my stupor. I swallowed thickly before forcing myself to move. I grabbed a few containers and began stuffing the food into them mechanically, ignoring the way my fingers trembled. As I'd told Edward on the phone, I left most of the things in the fridge and packed a couple of portions of everything separately to take with me.

The silent darkness of my apartment threatened the hold I'd maintained on my composure when I first stepped inside. I turned the lights on quickly and browsed through the music on my phone until I found something to drown out the jumble of my own thoughts.

My appetite was all but gone. I deposited the food in the kitchen and pulled out my work binder instead. The syllabus plan for the next term wasn't due until a week after school reopened, but it was the only alternative I had to distract myself at the moment. The last thing I wanted was to fall apart on my couch, alone and broken on Christmas. Determined to make it through the day, I pulled out my papers and got to work. It took me a while to focus on the words and dates before me, but I powered through and kept at it until my eyes crossed.

The next time I looked up, the sky had turned dark. A glance at my phone told me it was half past nine in the evening. My empty stomach growled, making me sigh and push back from the desk.

I padded along to the kitchen, wondering what dish I could reheat and consume the quickest. Before I could make a decision, the doorbell rang.

A gasp escaped my lips when I looked through the peephole. My heart pounded hard, and I brought a hand up to my chest before I opened the door.

Edward lifted his eyes to mine, exhaustion evident in their depths. His shoulders were hunched, his hair a wild mess—more so than usual, making me wonder if he'd spent all day tugging on it.

"Bella," was all he said, but even that one word was laced with thinly veiled regret. I sighed, holding my arms open for him. He sagged into them gratefully.

"Are you okay?"

He tightened his hold on my waist. "I will be now."

I held him for a long minute before I pulled him inside.

"I'm sorry for showing up so late." His lips twisted into a sad smile. "Seems like all I'm doing these days is apologizing after letting you down."

I wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but my mind went back to a few hours ago when I'd packed up a meal I'd so lovingly prepared for us, only to come back to my empty apartment on a day meant to be spent with loved ones. The words died on my tongue. All I could manage was a shake of my head. There wasn't anything he could've done differently. Of course I knew that. But knowing and accepting were two separate things, and the hurt I'd felt made the latter too difficult.

"Is Vanessa feeling better now?"

Edward expelled a harsh breath, his forehead creasing into the hint of a scowl. "She's doing just fine."

He offered nothing more, and I didn't ask. His demeanor said it all.

"You look so tired. Maybe you should've gone home."

His eyes snapped up, an unnamed emotion flashing in them as they stared into mine. "And missed out on seeing you on our first Christmas together?"

I looked away from him, biting back an instinctive retort I didn't really mean.

"Have you eaten?"

I shook my head. "I was working on some plans for the next term."

"I know I messed up, Bella, but please . . . Can I get a second chance? You told me you'd bring the food back here. Please have dinner with me," he murmured. He extended his hand, but didn't take mine, leaving it a few inches away.

My choice.

Since the moment he'd walked into my classroom, I wondered if I'd truly ever had one.

With a sigh, I accepted his offer. He twined our fingers together, squeezing mine gently before leading us to the kitchen. He made me sit at the table and direct him to where everything was, heating and plating everything himself before returning to me.

"Merry Christmas," he said, setting my plate down.

I tipped my head up to look at him, my eyes squeezing shut when his lips brushed mine.

"Merry Christmas."

Sitting in the mismatched chairs that Rose had picked out for our little table, sipping at Coke instead of the wine Edward would've picked out for us, we had our meal, and it was nothing like I'd pictured in my mind.

But he was here, worn out, yet smiling as I talked about the amount of work I'd managed to complete today. I told him I'd left my gift for him at his place. He replied that he'd done the same before he left the house this morning, and we decided to exchange them tomorrow instead.

I'd only brought one slice of the chocolate cake I'd baked with me, so we had to share. Edward stole my fork, insisting on feeding me himself. The sight of brown icing coating the corner of his mouth by the end of our meal made me giggle for the first time in hours. His eyes brightened at the sound although he said nothing and simply grabbed a napkin.

"I don't think I've had enough of the cake," he whispered right before he leaned in to capture my lips, sampling the dessert on my tongue.

I wrapped my arms around his neck almost desperately and kissed him back, unwilling to let him go for even a moment.

I needn't have worried. His mouth was insistent against mine as he pushed his arms around my back. I gasped, breaking away for a moment when he lifted me into his arms. He reclaimed my lips quickly before leading us to my bedroom. When he placed me on the bed, I refused to let go and tugged at his arms until his body lay flush against mine.

Limbs tangled together, our hands moved languidly between our bodies as we divested each other of our clothes. His skin was warm against mine, his fingers dug into my waist, and our hips rocked against each other, sending sparks and colors dancing behind my closed eyelids. The world closed in as we lost ourselves in each other, breathless with unbridled desire. It wasn't long before I fell apart in his arms, feeling his moans against my lips. I stroked the smooth, rigid planes of his back as he followed me into sweet oblivion.

Afterward, he pushed himself off me with a heavy sigh and grabbed a wet towel to clean us up. When he returned, I didn't let him go far, tucking myself into the circle of his arms. Our skins were slick with sweat and flushed with warmth, but I didn't care. After the day I'd had, his touch seemed as essential as the air that made its way into my lungs.

Edward seemed to feel the same way. His hand gripped the curve of my waist, slipping down to my thigh and hitching my leg over his. I pressed my lips over the taut tendons of his neck.

I felt his mouth brush my hairline seconds before his voice whispered into the darkness, "I love you, Bella."

My eyes fell shut against the tears that welled up in them.

"I love you, too," I told him just as quietly, unwilling to break the spell that'd surrounded us in its embrace.

And despite everything, in that fleeting, yet poignant moment, I found my little slice of heaven again.

* * *

 **A/N: I usually don't prefer talking about what's coming next, but I'm feeling a little guilty about making you all sad, so . . . Next up—A much needed conversation between Bella and Vanessa.**

 **Are you up for it?**

 **Just hit that button below! ;)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I posted Chapter 5 just a few moments ago, so please make sure you've read it before you go ahead with this one. **

**I just didn't want to leave you hanging with the the angst, hence the back to back posts. Thank you so much for your reviews so far! My inbox is full of messages, and I couldn't be more excited!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

 ** _Bella_**

Once school started back up, Vanessa returned to Edward's house. His schedule was a little haywire for the first couple of weeks of the year as he juggled surgeries, lazy co-workers, studies, and other duties at the hospital. Still, he made sure to make time for me whenever possible—if not through shared meals, then via texts and random pictures to let me know I was on his mind. The time we did spend together seemed borrowed as we stole hugs and kisses to last us through the next few days of separation. Limited and rushed though they were, those moments were precious to me.

Vanessa and I had crossed paths a few times. We'd shared nothing but banal pleasantries on those occasions. She hadn't been outright hostile—though, I guess she'd never done much of that, anyway. We'd made no progress, but we hadn't deteriorated either. I wondered if that was the best I could hope for.

One evening, I was waiting for Edward at his house because Vanessa was spending a couple of days with her mother. Edward had planned to be home by five, but then he'd shot me a message to let me know he had to head into an emergency surgery. Still, he promised to make it home before dinner. Now that I was already here, I decided to wait for him. We hadn't had the chance to spend the night together in the past few days, so I'd missed him. Even if he came home exhausted, I couldn't wait to fall asleep in his arms.

At half-past seven, he called me to let me know that he was done with the surgery. Once he'd changed his clothes, he would clock out and head home. I might've sounded a little too excited when I told him I was waiting for him.

I was startled when the doorbell rang no more than five minutes later. It was too soon for Edward to have returned. I walked toward the door only to stop halfway, confused as I wondered who could be on the other side. Before I could figure out my next move, I heard the telltale sound of a key being jiggled in the lock.

The door flew open seconds later, and I took an involuntary step back, gasping sharply.

I released a deep breath when I recognized the two people who walked in.

Angela seemed just as astonished to find me there as I was to see her, but she recovered quickly.

"Hi—" she greeted, followed by an awkward pause which, if I had to guess, was where she scrambled to think about how to address me. "—Isabella," she decided finally.

I smiled and extended a hand toward her. "Please, call me Bella."

Her features relaxed noticeably as she shook my hand. "Bella. It's good to see you. I'm sorry I was startled. I just didn't expect to see you here."

My gaze flickered to Vanessa, who was standing next to her. She wasn't looking at me, fiddling with the straps of her backpack, so I turned my attention back to her mother.

"It's alright. I was just waiting for Edward. He's on his way home from the hospital."

Angela tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, her forehead creasing into a frown. "I messaged him earlier this morning, and he said he'd be home by five. That's why I figured it was okay to drop Ness off here."

"You're right, but you know how it is with his job. He was pulled into an emergency surgery." I shrugged, and she sighed in frustration, but I could sense it wasn't directed at me. "Anyway, I spoke to him a few minutes ago, and he's free now. He should be here within the hour."

"Oh, of course. An emergency. Far too many of those." She expelled another sigh. Vanessa stepped around us and quietly made her way toward the kitchen. "Gosh, I'm sorry I'm being like this. I can't seem to help myself. I know Ness was supposed to be with me tonight, but I have to head out right away. My grandma is not doing well. She might not . . . I need to be with my mom right now."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

Angela gave me a weary smile. "Thank you, Bella. She has been in hospice care for a while, so it's not unexpected. But it's still tough. I just talked to Mom, and she sounded completely broken."

"I can't even imagine what she's going through. You're right, you should be with her. I can watch Vanessa if you're okay with it."

"Are you sure? I really don't want to bother you. I thought Edward would've come home by now, that's why Ness and I dropped by unannounced. Gosh, I shouldn't have barged in like this. I just wasn't thinking clearly."

"It's not a problem at all. This is her home, and she's welcome here any time." From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Vanessa had returned to the room. She stood to the side, silently observing our exchange, so I went on. "Besides, I'm sure Edward will be here soon anyway. I think we can manage by ourselves in the meantime."

I stifled a gasp when Angela pulled me into an unexpected hug.

"You're a lifesaver, Bella. Thank you. I really appreciate this. If it hadn't been so urgent—"

"Don't worry about it. It's no trouble." I smiled at her when we broke apart. "And you're most welcome," I told her before placing my hand over her arm. "Please pass on my regards to your mother, and drive safely."

She blinked away the tears in her eyes. "I will." She beckoned Vanessa over to us and then kneeled before her. "I'm really sorry I have to go, baby. Nana needs me. I'll call you once I've reached there. Be good for Bella, okay? Daddy will be coming home soon."

"Okay," Vanessa replied, throwing her arms around Angela's neck. "Tell Nana I said hi and that I love her."

Angela kissed her cheek. "I promise, baby. She'll be very happy to hear that." She rose to her feet and met my gaze. "Thank you again, Bella."

I shook my head. "Anytime. Go on and don't worry about anything here. I'll let Edward know what's going on."

She gave me another grateful smile before leaving. Vanessa plopped down on the couch while I shuffled my feet.

"Are you hungry? I can make something to eat if you want. Maybe a sandwich?" I offered.

"No," she answered quietly. "I already ate. Mom and I finished dinner before she got the call. She made hotdogs, and I helped."

"Ah. That sounds yummy. Maybe just some juice, then?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm not hungry."

"Alright," I sighed. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you, okay?"

"Sure. I'm going to go change." She jumped up to her feet, ready to bolt, and before I could second-guess myself, I grabbed what could be my only chance.

"Could you . . . could you wait for a moment? I was hoping I could talk to you about something."

Vanessa's eyes flashed to mine, annoyance plain in her features. But she didn't lash out. She folded her arms over her chest and bit her lip while I motioned toward the patio out back.

"It's a lovely evening. I was about to make some hot chocolate. Why don't we got out and sit for a bit?"

"I don't have anything to say," she informed me. "Enjoy your hot chocolate. I'll be in my room."

She took a step away, and I moved toward her. I held her gaze, steeling my nerves.

"Vanessa," I said, using the tone I only employed with unruly children in my class. "I think you have a lot of things to say to me. I want to share something as well. We've let this go on long enough because I believed you needed time, and I respected that. Now I'm asking you to give me the same respect." I stood my ground and despite the gap between us, I knew my stance would tell her that leaving was not an option. "If you don't want to have the milk, that's fine. I'm going to make it anyway, so if you change your mind, you're welcome to it. If not, then please sit with me while I have mine."

I turned around and headed to the kitchen, my heart pounding anxiously in my chest. It was a gamble I'd taken, but I saw no other choice. Whatever was bothering her would never be resolved if we didn't tackle it. I feared that I was already too late in addressing it. The line between earning her trust and demanding her respect was a fine one. I'd been treading it carefully so far, but that didn't seem like a viable option anymore. I had to grab this bull by the horns and let the pieces fall where they may.

Vanessa followed me into the kitchen. She didn't offer to help, so I made the beverage myself while she hung around awkwardly. It made my heart ache to see her so unsure in her own home, but I couldn't back down now. If she was truly going to listen to me, I needed to make the most of this opportunity.

She didn't refuse when I handed her a mug. I smiled at her, trying to put her at ease, though I was sure it wouldn't work. We were quiet as we put on our jackets before venturing out to the patio.

We sat next to each other, legs crossed, sipping the hot chocolate and saying nothing for a while. I let her have a moment and took the time to arrange my own thoughts in order.

"I know you don't particularly like me," I began eventually. I set my empty mug down, watching her fingers curl tightly around hers. "What I don't know is why. You've been upset since the first time I came here for dinner. I can't remember anything I've done to offend you, but if there was, I'm very sorry. If you tell me what's bothering you, maybe we can work on it. I'd like nothing more."

She turned her head toward me, but remained quiet.

"Talk to me," I implored. "Tell me what's wrong. Whatever it is, it's not going to sort itself out. We need to find a way to fix it, and that can only happen if you tell me what's going on in your mind."

Frustration gnawed at me when another moment passed without a word from her. I had to admit, I didn't know Vanessa well enough to determine how much I could push her. Every word I spoke seemed like a blind step taken in a minefield. My momentary burst of confidence began to dwindle as I wondered if my insistence had forced us a step backward. Maybe even more.

"I don't love you," she said suddenly, jarring me out of my thoughts. I blinked to refocus myself in the aftermath of her words. "I know I'm supposed to, but . . ."

Her simple admission made me frown. I rearranged my features back into a neutral mask even though she wasn't looking at me. "Okay. It's okay. You don't have to love me. You barely even know me, Vanessa. I don't expect you to love me."

She was silent for a moment. This time, I didn't push her to talk. The way her bottom lip was wedged between her teeth told me she was thinking things through. I decided to take the opportunity to say my piece—everything I would've said if she'd been amicable the first time I'd joined them for dinner.

"Nes— _Vanessa_ , I've met your mom a few times at school. I know she's a good person, and I respect her. Your father and I . . . we hadn't even met each other until a few months after they'd filed for divorce. I don't know if that was something you were wondering about, but regardless, I just wanted you to know that." I paused to draw in a breath. "I don't want to replace your mother. I would _never_ even consider the idea because it's ridiculous. She's the most important person in your world. She has a central place in your family, and she will always have that. I accepted that the day I decided to be with Edward. I'm not expecting that to change . . . ever."

She crossed her arms in her lap and looked away from me to stare blankly into the distance. "When Mom first told me how she couldn't stay with Daddy, I didn't get it. It took some time for me to get what they were doing. After I under—understood, I still hoped they would be together again."

I nodded slowly. I didn't miss the way her eyes shifted to glance at me covertly without turning her head. "That's understandable. I can see why you'd like them to be with each other. But let me ask you something. You've taken turns living with both of them since they have been separated. Do you think . . . do you think they're sad about living in different houses?"

She chewed on her lip, pondering that for a moment. I forced myself to remain silent and wait until she met my gaze.

"No," she whispered eventually. "They don't look sad. Daddy is always happy when he's with me, or . . . when you're with us. Mom is also happy. She always keeps telling me so many things about her new work and brings gifts and pictures for me. She made a new room where I can stay when I live with her. It's pink, like my old room, but there's purple and a little yellow too. We have fun there." Her face lit up at whatever memory crossed her mind, making me smile, too.

"That sounds lovely." I started to say something about how they weren't right for each other, but censured myself. That was not what Vanessa needed to hear. She was starting to come to her own conclusion about it and prodding her along was not necessary. It could be counterproductive if she interpreted it as my attempt to disparage their relationship.

I tried to word myself differently. "Things didn't work out between them, Vanessa. But they're still on very good terms because they will always have a beautiful connection with each other—you. You're their first priority, Vanessa. You're _everyone's_ first priority," I insisted, even though I didn't know if she'd catch my inflection. "That is why your dad wanted us to meet. It's why he waited until he was absolutely sure about me before he brought me into your life. It's also why . . ." I trailed off, swallowing thickly before I went on. "It's why he won't continue to be with me if that's something you don't want."

Vanessa's eyes were wide as she absorbed my words. She didn't say anything, though, so I kept talking.

"I know it's really difficult to see it now, but in a way . . . you're lucky, honey," I told her, the endearment slipping out reflexively. I faltered for a moment, but she gave no outward reaction to my error. I forged ahead. "Your parents love you more than anything. They live in the same city and share custody of you without any bitterness or arguments. They're making this work so that your life isn't disturbed in any way. Things don't always pan out like that."

"What does that mean?" she asked me immediately, her sweet face reflecting nothing but curiosity.

I smiled wryly. "It means I know a little about what you're going through. My parents got divorced, too, but I was much younger than you when it happened. I was four years old when they decided they couldn't tolerate each other anymore."

Vanessa's mouth fell open in a gasp, and her hands rose to cover her parted lips. "I didn't know that. Did they fight? Mom and Daddy didn't shout or get mad, but my friend told me other people who get divorced do that many times."

"They did," I sighed. "But I was too little to understand much of what was going on, until my mother had packed her bags and mine, ready to leave without even saying goodbye to my dad." I shook my head to ward off the only memory I still carried with me from that time. "He managed to stop us, but they started living separately soon after. The worst part was that they settled in two different cities thousands of miles away from each other. I had to make one trip after another to be able to spend time with both of them. I would only get to spend the holidays with one parent. Then the other would get angry, and I had no idea how to make things right."

I'd spent far too many years chasing those ghosts, but time and maturity had eventually made me see that I had no reason to feel guilty. My parents had moved on with their lives, while stubbornly refusing to let me go—a trait born not out of love for me, but out of the desire to spite each other. The strain that'd taken on our relationship had only worsened as the time passed. We were now at the point where an occasional phone call was the only source of communication between us.

"That's not right!" I pulled myself back to the present to find a scowl on Vanessa's face. "It was not your fault. How could you be with your mommy and daddy both at the same time?"

I dared to place a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She didn't tense up at my touch—which thrilled me no end—but I didn't want to push my luck, so I released her quickly.

"Thank you, honey. I know now that it wasn't my fault. But it's not very easy to understand that when you're four or five, right?"

She nodded in agreement. It was obvious that she was thinking about how, at almost eight years of age, she'd grown smarter than her four-year-old self, and the grave expression on her face made me stifle a smile.

"Anyway, the only reason I told you all of this is to make you see that I _do_ understand what you're going through," I explained softly. "I know how it feels to have your life changed completely because of your parents' divorce. That is exactly why I told you that I don't expect you to love me, honey. All I want is for you and I to get to know each other better. If we do that, maybe we'll like what we learn, and we can work on the things that we don't. I can't and won't force you to love me. I respect your feelings, whatever they may be. I hope that in return, you'll respect me, too."

She blinked at me, nodding once, and I smiled.

"If you decided to give me a chance to be a part of your life, I promise you this—I don't want to take anything away from you or your dad or your mom. I want to add something good, something happy to your life, if I can. That's all." I exhaled a deep breath before rising to my feet. I placed my hand on her head for a brief moment. "Thank you for listening, Vanessa. I'm glad we had a chance to talk. I'm going inside, okay? Come in whenever you're ready, and if you—"

The sound of a car door slamming reached us before I could finish the sentence. A minute later, I heard Edward calling my name.

"We're out here," I yelled back.

He turned the corner, his confusion evident in the frown that marred his forehead. It cleared quickly when he spotted Vanessa behind me. He smiled at her before his gaze returned to mine, and his eyes went wide, as though he'd just realized the possible ramifications of the situation.

"Everything okay?" he asked, looking between the two of us warily.

"Yeah," I told him. "Everything's fine. Angela had to go to the hospital unexpectedly, so she dropped Vanessa off here."

I noticed the movement in my peripheral vision as Vanessa stood and walked over to us.

"Everything's fine, Daddy. I had dinner with Mom and hot chocolate just now. I'm going to my room now. I'm really tired."

Edward's lips pressed together in a tight line, and I knew why—those were the words Vanessa had used quite often to escape us in the past. But they didn't sadden me this time because I could sense a shift in her demeanor. I couldn't even describe it, but I could feel it in my bones that something had changed in the past hour.

I looked meaningfully at Edward, pleading with him not to make a scene. He said nothing, but gave his daughter a stiff nod. She walked away from us without another word, and my self-assurance faltered for a second.

But then she stopped at the threshold. My breath caught in my throat as she slowly spun around the face us, or rather, face _me_.

"Good night, Bella. Thanks for the hot chocolate," she said quietly, a small, hesitant smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

The one on my face though was blinding as I wished her sweet dreams.

* * *

 **A/N: Pics and updates: Facebook group—** ** _Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed_** **. (Link is on my profile)**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

 ** _Edward_**

"I just don't know what to do, Bella," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I cringed at how greasy it felt, but we'd been swamped over the last few days. Fog-laden evenings had led to a plethora of accidents on the road and a steady flow of patients into the ER, leaving no time for anything else.

"When did Mrs. Marshall call you?"

"Maybe an hour ago? I had to check in on a patient right after, so I couldn't call until now. I know it's just second grade, but she can't afford to fall behind, can she? Mrs. Marshall told me that Ness seems to enjoy math. But when it comes to reading and spelling, she's unable to focus. She said something about problems with phonetics and syllables and whatnot."

Bella hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe she just needs a little more practice. Vanessa is a bright girl. It could be that she's not as interested in language as she's in math. You know how easy it can be for kids to fall into the habit of avoiding things they don't like. Then it becomes tougher, and they find all the more reason to avoid it. It's just a matter of breaking that vicious cycle."

"I feel like I'm failing her," I whispered. "I should've been paying more attention. I've always been the one she came to when she needed help with homework. She has been doing it a lot less now. I've asked her a couple of times, and she told me she didn't need help. But I should've checked her work myself."

"Hush now. Don't think of it that way. She knows she can come to you any time. Maybe you just have to remind her of it. It'll be fine, Edward. You've been stretched thin these past few weeks. Don't blame yourself."

 _But how could I not?_

I heard her reassurances, but I couldn't _listen_. My thoughts were nagging at me, exploring the possibility that maybe Nessie's disapproval of my relationship with Bella had truly taken a toll on her mind. It was likely that the uncertainty might be making it difficult for her to focus on her studies. Guilt churned in my stomach as I imagined my sweet girl battling her emotions alone.

Besides that, there was also the fact that I'd been quite lenient in how I approached Nessie's tantrums since I'd introduced her to Bella—more so than I'd ever been. Fear of worsening her dislike for Bella had made me go easy on her. That could've made her complacent with regard to her studies. Mrs. Marshall's worried voice echoed in my head—an evidence of my negligence that I couldn't deny.

But now, several weeks had passed since that first meeting. I'd been cautiously hopeful of progress from Nessie's end since the evening when I'd found her on the patio with Bella. I'd been trying to be patient, giving her time to let that positivity fester and hoping that she could eventually put her resentment aside. If it was going to affect her schoolwork though, clearly, I needed to alter my approach.

I didn't tell Bella, but I felt responsible for the upheaval in Vanessa's life. As her father, I needed to do my duty and make things right in her world again.

"Edward? Are you there?" Bella's voice in my ear brought me back to the present.

"Yeah, sorry." I shook my head. "Just thinking. What were you saying?"

"I asked what you were planning to do about picking Vanessa up from school today."

I frowned. "Oh. Uh—well, Angela said she has a meeting across town, so she won't be able to pick her up on time. I was going to do it myself before taking her to Angela's place and wait there until she got home. I need to come back to the hospital after that. It might take me a couple of hours, but I'm sure someone can cover for me in the meantime."

The line was silent for a few seconds as Bella seemed to think her next words through.

"You know, I'm right here in the next building. I can take her to your place after school, and maybe study with her?" she posed it like a question. "I can figure out where she's having trouble . . . possibly even help her out with a few techniques."

It sounded like a good solution in theory. I wasn't too sure about the practicality, though, so I hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, you'd probably be the best person to guide her. But things . . . I can't be there until the evening, Bella. If things get tense—"

"They won't," she assured me. "She has been better with me since we talked. I can feel it. Whatever the problem was, I think she's slowly getting past it, and I believe it'll be good for us if she can spend time with me. If I'm able to help her out with something, maybe she'll begin to trust me. That'd be nice, right?"

"Yes. That'd be great." I let out a sigh. "You're sure you don't mind, though? You don't have to do this. I've been slacking, and I should be the one to go the extra mile."

"This relationship business is not just hearts and flowers, you know," she teased. "It's a partnership as well. Besides, it's only a matter of a few months now. Once you pass your boards, your time will finally be your own. Until then, if there's anything I can do to lighten your load, I'm happy to do it. Don't forget that this _is_ my job after all. I like teaching, so helping Vanessa is not a chore."

"You're amazing, you know that? Thank you so much. I promise to make it up to you—both of you—after my boards."

"I have no doubt you will." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Alright, so it's settled. I'll take Vanessa home. Don't forget to phone it in at the school office though. I have my ID to show them, but they'll need you to sign off on it. They won't let me take her unless we follow protocol."

"Will do. Call me if there's anythi—"

"I will. Promise. Try not to worry so much, okay? Let me handle this. If I need you, I'll text you right away."

"Alright, sweetheart. I love you."

"Love you, too."

The turmoil of my thoughts continued to bug me for a while, but I was able to push it aside when I was paged to the ER. I was assigned to the case of a young woman who had been wounded in a car accident. She'd sustained numerous injuries and was brought to the hospital unconscious, having lost a lot of blood. The prognosis seemed bleak, but we did our best to resuscitate her. There was a good chance she wouldn't survive surgery. Regardless, we had to try, so the attending asked us to send her to the OR.

The patient's fiancé had suffered less severe injuries. Conscious and oriented, he was creating a ruckus in the next room as he demanded news about what was going on with the woman he loved. While my juniors prepped the patient for surgery, I did my best to explain her current status to him. He craved the reassurance I couldn't truthfully give, and I had no choice but to leave him in uncertainty.

Less than an hour later, I had to inform him that she didn't make it.

His howls of pain haunted me for the rest of the day, the task of telling someone they'd lost their loved one never getting easier, no matter how often I had done it before.

The rest of the afternoon passed smoothly in terms of my case load. But the mess that surrounded my life these days, combined with the knowledge of having lost a patient made it impossible for me to relax. My brain was constantly chasing after possibilities and problems, but finding no definite solutions.

The state of my mind was just as chaotic by the time I made it home. I used my key to unlock the door, not wanting to disturb Bella in case she was busy with Nessie.

I walked into the living room to find a sight I'd never expected.

Bella and Nessie were curled up on the couch with Nessie's blanket thrown over their legs. My eyes swivelled to the television, disbelief swamping my senses when I saw my daughter's favorite movie playing on the screen. Judging by the way they were nestled into the cushions and the bowls of popcorn in their laps, they'd obviously been at it for a while.

Engrossed as they were, they didn't even notice me standing there until I cleared my throat. Bella glanced at me first, and her face broke into a smile. Her expression was completely unrepentant, which left me bewildered.

"Hi, Daddy," Nessie greeted me without even shifting her eyes from the screen. It was the norm with her when she watched this movie, but today, it made me lose my cool.

"Did you finish your homework?" I asked her.

"Not yet, but I'm almost done. I need maybe twenty minutes? Bella said I could do it once we finish the movie." She met my gaze for a split second to give me a smile and then quickly turned her attention back to the screen.

I stifled a frustrated groan, shrugged off my shoes roughly, and snapped my gaze toward Bella.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" I muttered and stormed toward the kitchen.

I clutched the edge of the counter, trying to pull in a few calming breaths before I heard Bella's footsteps padding closer.

"What's wrong?" she asked me quickly.

I spun on my feet to meet her wide-eyed gaze.

"What's wrong? I should be asking _you_ that," I retorted without a second thought. She jerked a step backward, and I immediately regretted my outburst. "Damn it. I'm sorry, Bella. Give me a minute." I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head.

When I opened them, the startled, innocuous look on Bella's face nearly set me off again, but I willed myself to resist the instinct to lash out.

"I thought you were going to help Nessie with her studies," I told her, keeping my voice low this time. "That's what you said when you offered to bring her home."

Her eyebrows rose. "Well, yes, of course, bu—"

"She still hasn't finished her homework, Bella," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "There's an hour to go until her bedtime, and she still has twenty minutes of homework pending."

"I—I didn't realize that—about her bedtime. I'm sorry."

A sudden wave of bone-deep exhaustion washed over me as I held her gaze. My temper lost its flare, leaving behind a sense of inexplicable defeat.

"I came home expecting to have a serious talk with Nessie about school and found her lounging on the couch, watching her favorite movie, ignoring her studies. I don't know what to think. I understand the urge to give in to whatever she wants. Believe me, _I get it_ ," I emphasized. "I've been doing the same, trying to get her to approve of our relationship, but there has to be a limit. Every time I've tried to be stern with her when you're around, you've stopped me. I chose to listen to you on every occasion; that's on me. I can't deny going easy on her even when you're not here. I know that's my fault. But you can't perpetuate this behavior. It won't do her any good."

She crossed her arms and glared at me. "Edward, you're being ridiculous. If you'd just listen to wha—"

"Ridiculous?" I spluttered. "It's ridiculous that I'm worried about my kid's education? You didn't listen to what Mrs. Marshall was saying about her. She knew about the divorce, so she even suggested that I seek a counselor's help if Nessie is unable to concentrate because of her unresolved issues. This is serious, Bella, and I need to nip it in the bud. I can't take it lightly. As a teacher, I thought you would understand that better than anyone else."

She said nothing for a moment, simply gaping at me, and for the first time in months, I couldn't read the emotion in her eyes. She swallowed once before looking away.

"You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe I just seem to get everything wrong these days. My bad. Just . . ." She shook her head. "Goodbye, Edward." She whirled around and walked away briskly, leaving me gaping after her. I heard her muffled voice as she said goodbye to Nessie seconds before the front door slammed shut.

I rubbed my hands over my face and groaned into my palms.

 _What the hell had just happened? How did we get here?_

When I looked up, I was startled to find my daughter standing before me. With her hands resting on her hips, she was glaring at me with undisguised ire in her eyes.

"Daddy, what _was_ that?" Before I could even begin to think of a response to that, she let out an irritated grunt. "I think you messed up, Daddy. You really messed up."

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't hurt me. ;) There are only ten chapters, remember? Not much room to drag anything out.  
**

* * *

 **Pics and updates: Facebook group—** ** _Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed_** **. (Link is on my profile)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Let's find out what Bella was up to during the day.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 ** _Bella_**

"You know how this works now. Say something, Vanessa. Tell me what's on your mind. The last time we talked, I think we really made progress in understanding each other. Let's make it happen again."

She gave me a weak shrug and averted her eyes. I gently tipped her chin up until our gazes locked.

"I won't be mad," I assured her. "I won't overreact. I just want to know what's going on. Your dad has been worrying about you since he received a call from Mrs. Marshall earlier today. I was your teacher not so long ago, Vanessa, and I know you had trouble with the language exercises. But it wasn't a major issue. I thought a little more practice would take care of it. I certainly never expected it to get to the point where your new teacher is concerned about your performance. It's okay to fall behind; it happens to everyone. What matters is to work hard to get yourself back on track."

I stopped talking when I noticed the way her hazel eyes glistened with unshed tears. She turned away and sipped the smoothie I'd prepared as her after-school snack, but her lower lip quivered, revealing the emotions she was trying to hide.

I reached out to place my hand on her shoulder. "Hey. It's okay, honey. I told you I'm only here to talk to you and listen to what you have to say. Your dad isn't mad at you either. He's just confused about what's going on with you. That's why I picked you up today. I know your curriculum and how to teach it. We'll do it together, okay? Whatever it is that you're finding tough, we'll work on it."

"Really?" she asked me, her voice so small and uncertain that it hurt my heart. "I don't know what happened. I don't know how to learn all that when everyone else just knows it."

"They don't just know it. They studied it, understood it, practiced it, and then they got better at it. There's no reason why you can't do the same."

Vanessa drew in a deep breath before slowly tilting her head to look at me.

"I don't know how it happened," she repeated. "My friend, Lauren . . . she hates reading. She's good at it, but she doesn't like it. She just wants to play games all the time. Whenever Mrs. Marshall teaches us reading and grammar and all that, Lauren doesn't want to listen. She talks to me instead of studying."

I couldn't help but frown. "She keeps talking to you in class? Hasn't Mrs. Marshall noticed that?"

She bit her lip, fidgeting guiltily. "She talks very softly, but mostly . . . mostly she writes it in her notebook and passes it to me."

Suppressing the impulse to shake my head in reproach, I nodded my understanding and waved my hand to prompt her to go on.

"I—um, I told her about you. Lauren's uncle got a divorce from his wife, so she knows how that works. Then he found a new girlfriend who doesn't really like Jessica. Oh, Jessica is Lauren's cousin. I mean, she's Lauren's uncle's daughter."

"I get it."

Her eyes flashed to my face anxiously before she continued her tale. "So Lauren told me about her uncle and how he's not visiting Jessica like he used to. Jessica's mom is mad at him, but she can't do anything about it. She misses her dad a lot. He didn't even come to her last recital." She paused to release a sigh. "I didn't want to talk to Lauren at first. I wanted to study. I thought language was difficult in first grade, so I wanted to do better in second grade. But Lauren told me all these things, and I got worried. She was also telling me about the movies with evil stepmoms. Then I stopped listening to Mrs. Marshall because I was so confused and a little scared. It happened for a few days, and then I didn't understand anything in class. Math was fine because Lauren doesn't know it well. She won't talk when we're doing math problems because if she does, she can't understand what's going on."

I pursed my lips and pulled my legs up on the couch. "I want to address this thing about Lauren's uncle, but let me say something else first. You need to see what's going on, honey. I can't imagine Lauren's reasons for filling your mind with all this negativity, but she seems to be good at only thinking about herself. She doesn't disturb you when you're working on a subject she doesn't understand. She's making sure she studies it properly. She talks to you only when she knows missing out on the lecture will not affect her much. She's distracting you only when she can afford to be distracted herself. I know I'll hurt you by saying this, and I'm so sorry for that, but that girl doesn't sound like a good friend."

To my surprise, Vanessa nodded. "Mom said the same thing. She saw the notes Lauren wrote in my notebook a few days ago, so I had to tell her a little about her. She thinks being friends with Lauren is not good for me."

"I would have to say that I agree with her. Your mom is a wise lady."

Vanessa gave me a small smile, seemingly pleased by my assessment.

I swallowed hard before coming to a more difficult topic she'd raised, but one I needed to address right away. "Now, about this uncle and his girlfriend—"

"I know you're not like that," Vanessa blurted, cutting me off. She dipped her head shyly. "I was afraid at first, but not now. I haven't spoken to Lauren since I talked to you . . . you know, when we had hot chocolate?" She paused and waited until I nodded to confirm that I remembered that evening. "I know you don't hate me. I was really mean to you, but you were still nice to me. You didn't tell Daddy not to be with me. He even stayed with me when you were waiting for him." She twisted her fingers together in her lap, a soft whimper escaping her throat. "I'm sorry for being mean to you."

"Oh, honey," I murmured and reached out to grasp her hands in mine. "Thank you for the apology. It's alright. You weren't mean . . . just a little distant. I expected that when I walked into your life without any warning. All I wanted was a chance to get to know you."

She nodded quickly. "I know. I get it now. I won't be rude again."

I smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze before releasing them. "Thank you." I pursed my lips and blew out a huge breath. "Alright, enough of this. Now that we're both going to be nice to each other, there will be plenty of time to build a . . . shall we say friendship?" Vanessa nodded without hesitation. The gesture filled me with a surge of delight, but I didn't want to overwhelm her with my feelings, so I moved on. "For now, let's forget what has happened and why. Forget Lauren. Forget her notes and distractions, and let's figure out how we can get past it."

"I don't get it, Bella. What do you mean?"

I narrowed my eyes playfully. "I mean it's time to bring out the textbooks."

We spent almost an hour leafing through Vanessa's workbooks and assignments, both homework and classwork until I could find out exactly where the problem lay. I asked her to work on a couple of exercises with me so that I could know how her mind tried to solve them. She agreed to read out a particular text for me, and I observed her closely while she did.

"You didn't understand much of that, did you?" I surmised, once she had laboriously made her way through the small paragraph that comprised her homework.

"No. I'm sorry. I can't see it in my head, so I don't get it."

"Don't apologize, honey. That's why I'm here. I think we need to start with the basics. Once you have your concepts clear in your mind, applying them is easier."

"Okay," she intoned with a shrug, and I knew she hadn't particularly understood what I'd meant.

My eyes traversed the room, looking for inspiration on how to make things easier for her. I straightened eagerly when they landed on the cabinet that housed a set of DVDs.

"You have your favorite Disney movie over there, don't you?" I asked, pointing toward the rack.

"Yeah."

"Grab it and put it on. If new texts are tough for you, let's start with something that is familiar. I bet you know all the songs fairly well, right?"

Her eyes lit up as she nodded in response.

"Great! So you have the words, you have the scenes to paint a picture in your mind, and you know the sounds. Now we just need to connect them all together."

Though she'd been skeptical before, Vanessa jumped up readily to do my bidding now. She even grabbed a blanket for us without a second thought, draping it over our legs in what I sensed was probably one of her rituals.

For the next hour, we watched the movie in small sections, dissecting the dialogues and lyrics into individual words and then syllables. I helped her understand their meanings and memorize the phonetics that constituted each one. The first fifteen minutes were tough as Vanessa struggled to work things out according to my directions, but she made me proud by sticking to it until the process became easier for her.

When she was finally able to narrate a particular section with minimal pauses, I clapped and cheered her on. After a few minutes of consideration, she was also able to explain the context without faltering.

"Great job!" I held up my hand for a high-five, and she gave it a resounding smack. "This calls for a celebration. What would you like to eat?"

"Popcorn!" she squealed immediately.

"Popcorn? Okay, sure. But what else? I know it's a little early, but maybe we should have dinner."

"Daddy and I always have popcorn when we're watching movies. It's a tradition!"

I chuckled and held up my hands. "Fair enough. I wouldn't dare to mess with your tradition. But you'll have to tell me what to make for dinner as well, okay? Something more filling."

"Okay, Bella. But popcorn first!"

After eating a bit, we went back to the movie. Vanessa happily munched on the popcorn, as well as a portion of the mac and cheese I'd coaxed her to eat. We tackled a few simple synonyms and antonyms next. I used selected words from the dialogues and explained their meaning to her before we worked together to list down other related ones.

"Should we complete your homework? I think you should be able to get through it quicker now that you have practiced so much."

"But there's only a little bit left, Bella! Let's finish the movie. The next song is the best one! Let's learn that first. It has a lot of big words," she added craftily, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine. We'll do it quickly, okay? What we covered today is important, but so is the work you've been assigned for tomorrow. We can't ignore that. One song and then homework."

"Done!" She grinned and hit _Play_.

As it turned out, Vanessa was right. The song had quite a few adjectives, allowing me to introduce her to the concept of degrees of comparison. It took her a few minutes to grasp that, but once she did, she breezed through my questions based on the first five lines.

In the middle of that exercise, I heard the sound of Edward's car pulling into the driveway. I'd told Vanessa to pay close attention to the next set of lines, and I needed to do the same to ask her questions from them. So I kept my attention on the screen while I heard the click of Edward's key in the lock.

When he cleared his throat, I turned to meet his gaze. The sight of him, though disheveled, brought a smile to my lips. I couldn't wait to tell him about the wonderful day I'd had. Vanessa and I had made enormous strides toward a friendship, in my opinion. I was sure Edward would be thrilled to hear about that.

But before any of that could happen, I found myself staring at him in utter disbelief as he completely misread the situation. He didn't even give me a chance to explain myself. Instead, he went off on a rant about how I didn't take his daughter's learning difficulties seriously.

I accepted my mistake in not taking Vanessa's bedtime into account. We'd never had a discussion about that, so it'd slipped my mind. I was sorry that finishing what remained of her homework would cut short her sleep by a few minutes. But when he went on to accuse me of bending to Vanessa's demands in an attempt to earn brownie points for myself, I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from hurling a few choice words at him. The utter ridiculousness of his words after _everything_ I'd done over the course of the day made me snap, which only served to make matters worse.

Not once during the argument had he yelled at me. Yet, the casual deliverance of his insensitive words hurt me more than I could express.

By the time he questioned my professional abilities, I'd had enough.

"You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe I just seem to get everything wrong these days. My bad. Just . . ." I shook my head, feeling utterly defeated. "Goodbye, Edward."

Vanessa was standing right outside the kitchen, and I almost barged into her when I rushed out. A part of me realized that she'd probably heard at least some, if not all of our heated discussion. But I had no energy to consider the possible ramifications of that.

Instead, I muttered a quick goodbye to her. I hated to leave her this way, especially after the lovely day we'd had, but I had no choice. Edward's callous words were still echoing in my thoughts, suffocating me from the inside out.

All I could do in that state of mind was to grab my things and get the hell out of his house.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

 ** _Edward_**

I blinked at her, completely astonished with the turn of events.

 _Nessie was pissed at me for arguing with Bella?_

The situation didn't seem to make any sense. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard you yelling at Bella," she accused me. "You shouldn't have done that, Daddy. She was here with me and helping me study all day."

I frowned. "But you said your homework is still pending."

"Yeah, but Bella was teaching me _concepts_. She said that once I knew those, I won't have trouble with homework and classwork from now. She asked me to finish my homework, but I promised to do it after the movie was over." She let out a huff. "She was teaching me the big words and sentences and their meanings from the movie, Daddy. I was reading the dialogues out loud for practice. I couldn't understand the text that Mrs. Marshall had given us today, so Bella thought this way would be easier to learn because I already know it so well!"

My gut clenched with unease. "So you did spend the day working on your studies?"

"Uh-huh," she insisted, nodding for emphasis. "I still don't get a few things, but Bella said we could do this again if I wanted to. She said it's okay if it takes a little time to learn everything as long as I don't give up." She bit her lip, uncertainty flashing across her little face. "I don't know if she'll still want to. She seemed so sad when she left."

"Because I messed up," I sighed and stepped back to lean against the counter. I didn't even realize my hand had made its way into my hair until I felt a sting from the tugging.

Nessie stepped forward and took my free hand in both of hers.

"We have to say sorry, Daddy. I said sorry to her earlier, but I'll say it again with you. It's okay."

Smiling wryly, I lowered myself to my knees before her.

"You really apologized to Bella?"

"I did."

"What did she say?"

Nessie shrugged once. "She was sweet. She said it was alright because I wasn't very rude, just a little . . . distant," she told me hesitantly, as if unsure if it was the correct word. I nodded to let her know she was right. "Then she also said she expected me to be like that at first and that she only wants to get to know me."

"Thank you, Nessie. Thank you for saying sorry. I know she must've appreciated it. She was so worried about what you thought of her . . ." I trailed off, eying her speculatively for a few seconds. I wanted to ask her a question that she'd shut down when I'd tried earlier, but she seemed amicable enough right now. Maybe I could give it another shot.

"Why _did_ you get so upset, anyway? You were eagerly teasing me about my girlfriend earlier that day. But when you saw Bella, you just . . . changed. What happened?"

She lowered her gaze to her feet. "I wasn't mad about you getting a girlfriend. I didn't want you to be alone. I was just really surprised when I saw she was Bella."

"I can understand surprise, baby, but I know you felt much more than that."

"Yeah," she admitted softly. "Daddy, I never liked her when she was our teacher. She came in the middle of the year, and Mrs. Cope had to leave because of her."

"Wait, what?" I shook my head. "No, Nessie, Mrs. Cope didn't leave because of Bella. In fact, Bella got that job after Mrs. Cope had already decided to leave."

Her eyes snapped up to mine, wide with surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, of course. Didn't the principal tell you guys that?"

"I don't think so," she replied, but her voice sounded unsure. "I didn't go to school on Bella's first day. Remember when I fell from the swing and my foot was hurting? You let me stay at home that day."

"Right, yeah. I remember that. I just didn't know it was the same day. Anyway, the point is Mrs. Cope was going to retire after she'd finished the year with your class. But she'd developed some health problems that couldn't be ignored. She needed complete rest, so she had to leave her job halfway through the year."

Nessie let out a quiet "Oh" as realization dawned on her.

"That couldn't be all, though, right?" I raised my eyebrows and held her gaze while she shook her head.

"Then the day I saw her in class for the first time, she punished me even when I didn't do anything wrong. Lauren was sitting next to me, and she made some noise. Bella thought it was me and made me stand up in front of everyone."

"Did you talk to her about this?"

She threw me an exasperated look. "No, Daddy, how could I? She was new, so I didn't know her at all. I thought she'd made Mrs. Cope go away, which means I didn't like her. How could I talk to her? What could I say? Lauren was my friend. I couldn't just tattle on her."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I guess I don't understand first-grade politics," I told her, and she nodded in agreement. I had to work hard to refrain from rolling my eyes. "Carry on."

Now that the subject of Lauren had come up, Nessie had a lot more to add. She filled me in on the nonsense this _friend_ had been filling in her head. I listened to her, slightly stunned that an eight-year-old kid could be so conniving. I felt guilty about thinking of a child that way, but when I heard how Lauren had been distracting my daughter only during the class in which she managed to fare well herself, the epithet didn't seem too cruel any more.

After that, Nessie went on to talk about the incident where she'd attempted to fake my signature—the one that'd brought Bella into my life in the first place.

"I was mad at her for making you mad at me," she explained.

"You realize now that it wasn't her fault, right?"

"I know," she replied, nodding glumly. "I shouldn't have done that. I just hate it when you're mad at me, so it was easy to hate Bella for tattling on me."

I heaved a sigh and sat down cross-legged on the floor once she was done talking. My palms rubbed over my face as I pondered the absolute disaster I found myself in, thanks to the most trivial of reasons. I groaned, shaking my head to dislodge that thought immediately because it was entirely selfish and inaccurate.

Nessie's reasons had made perfect sense to her. What seemed inconsequential from an adult's perspective had been a matter of grave concern to her seven, almost eight-year-old mind. I couldn't really fault her for that, especially because she'd managed to correct her fallacies all on her own. The heart-to-heart she'd had with Bella had made an obvious impact that'd resulted in an apology from her. Things had been so close to being fixed between them.

No, it wasn't Nessie's fault . . . not anymore.

The mistake I'd made tonight was on me.

I'd ruined what'd probably been a good, hopeful day for Bella as she must've realized she'd finally gotten through to my daughter. My fingers itched to grab my phone and dial her number, but I didn't think she would answer. My skin prickled with anxiety, the muscles in my limbs going taut as I had to face the possibility that she might never forgive me.

She'd spent the day selflessly teaching my daughter—a girl who, until today, had been unapologetic about making her feel unwelcome in our lives—and I'd walked in on my high-horse, completely neglecting the bigger picture before I'd reprimanded her.

I wanted to beg her for forgiveness, but I doubted whether I deserved a second chance.

That didn't mean I wouldn't fight for it though.

If Bella could find it in her heart to pardon my thoughtlessness, I would promise her to never make her go through it again.

"Daddy?" Nessie's voice brought me out of my reverie. Her face was solemn as she looked at me through worried eyes. "What are we going to do? Will Bella come back?"

"I don't know," I sighed, not wanting to give her false hope. "But we have to try, right? We need to apologize to her. No, wait. You already did, didn't you?" I curved my palm over her cheek and tried to give her a smile. " _I_ have to apologize. I was very mean to Bella when she didn't deserve it. Even if she chooses not to forgive me, it's my duty to say sorry to her."

"Let's do it now!" Before I realized it, she'd shoved her hand into the pocket of my shirt. She grabbed my phone and held it out before me. "Call her. Maybe if she knows you're sorry so soon, she won't be very angry."

I chuckled without any mirth. "Oh, I wish it worked that way, Ness. But you're right—I have to try."

I held my breath as I dialed her number, my chest tightening into a knot as it began to ring. There was no answer until it cut off on its own and directed me to leave a voicemail. The hope shining in Nessie's eyes dwindled as I shook my head at her.

"Try again," she insisted. "Bella told me I shouldn't give up. I won't let you give up either."

I closed my eyes, leaning my head back as I dialed the second time . . . and then the third. Each time, I received the same response—or rather, lack thereof. There wasn't even a customized voicemail so that I could hear her voice—just a generic one followed by the beep.

Nessie was determined to keep me going, so I made one more attempt, deciding that it would be my final one for now. As much as I wanted to plead for Bella's forgiveness, if she needed some distance from me, I had to respect her choice. After the way I'd hurt her, her silence probably meant I was getting off easy.

I drew in a deep breath as the phone kept ringing, resigned to end the call once again when she didn't answer. But there was the familiar sound of a click that made my eyes go wide.

She'd answered the phone.

The dial tone cut off abruptly, followed by a beat of silence that I rushed to fill.

"Bella? Hello? Are you there?" My voice was frantic, my pulse bounding furiously in my ear as I waited for her to respond. "Bella, please, I'm so sorr—"

"Don't you dare," a woman hissed on the other end, cutting me off. "You have no right to apologize after what you did to her."

"Rosalie?" I guessed quietly.

"That's right. Do you really think she wants to talk to you right now? How dare you harass her by calling over and over? She left her phone with me before she locked herself in her room. I wasn't going to interfere, but you're a persistent little ass, aren't you?"

"Rosalie, please. I know I've made a huge mistake, and I'm really sorry. I just want to talk to Bella for a minute."

"And tell her what?" she demanded. "You know, ever since that daughter of yours has entered the equation, Bella has bent over backwards to try to please her. She was too upset to speak to me when she came back home, but I've seen her like this before. I don't need to hear it from her mouth. I know whatever has happened has to do with you and your daughter. She told me she was going to spend the day with her and help her out with her lessons. What, now even that isn't enough for you? What more can she do to earn the Cullens' approval, huh?"

My eyes squeezed shut, and Nessie shifted closer to me, hugging my arm.

"It was a misunderstanding," I murmured. "Bella had a good day with Nessie. When I came home from the hospital—"

"Don't even think about using that as an excuse! You have a busy schedule? You're not the only one. Bella wasn't exactly partying today, was she? She went straight to your place from school."

"I'm not making any excuses. I was just trying to explain what happened, but . . . Look, please. I need to talk to Bella. I need to make sure she's okay," I begged.

"That's my job, and I don't really give a damn about what you need. _I'll_ make sure she recovers from this. Once she has, if she wants to speak to you, she will. I'll let Bella know that you called. What she chooses to do with that information will be her choice. And Edward, don't you dare call this number again or show up here," she warned. "If she wants to speak to you, she'll get in touch. If not, you will respect her privacy." With that, she hung up, and I released a sigh.

"What did she say?" Nessie asked me as soon as I'd pulled the phone away from my ear.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to her. It was her roommate. Bella doesn't want to speak with me right now."

"Oh, Daddy." She bit her lip, suppressing a sniffle as her eyes welled up.

I drew her into a tight hug. "Don't cry, Nessie. Shh, don't worry. Bella's angry and rightfully so. We have to give her time, okay? We have to let her decide if she can move past this."

"But how would she know that we're sorry if she doesn't talk to us?"

"We'll find a way, honey. We'll find a way to tell her. Just like you said, I won't give up."

"And then?" she whimpered into my shirt.

I sighed and stroked her hair. "And then it's up to her."

* * *

 **A/N: Just one more chapter to go before the epilogue.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is much longer than the other chapters, but I don't think you all will have a problem with that. After all, making amends is on the agenda.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

 ** _Bella_**

"Alright, class, let's get started. You have twenty minutes to read the passage and attempt the questions given below and then we'll discuss them. I might ask a few of you to share their answers with the rest of us," I warned. "I don't mind if you get it wrong, but not trying is not an option, okay?"

A murmur of quiet agreement followed before they bent their heads to get to work. I didn't miss the eye-rolls I got from a couple of kids, but I ignored them for now. I'd have my chance to test them once the twenty minutes were up.

I walked back to my desk and took my seat. I tried to focus on the workbook lying in front of me but could only manage to flip pointlessly through the pages. My mind was too pre-occupied to pay attention to the task of rereading the passage I'd assigned to the kids.

It'd been a week since I'd walked out of Edward's home, pissed and frustrated at him, at myself, and everything in sight. I'd been a messed bundle of emotions by the time I'd gotten home. Desperately in need some time to clear my thoughts, I'd left my phone with Rose and locked myself away in my room.

When she'd told me the next morning that Edward had called to apologize, I hadn't been surprised. It would've taken him just a few seconds of conversation with his daughter to figure out that his assumptions had been wrong. Rose had reluctantly conveyed the entire exchange to me. After having witnessed my plight far too often in the past few months, I knew she was of the opinion that I shouldn't waste my time chasing Vanessa's affection. But she _had_ told me everything, including the fact that Edward had sounded distraught on the phone. She'd respected me enough to lend her support without telling me what to do. Rosalie Hale was always loyal to a fault, and I loved her for it.

But there was one aspect where the two of us differed.

She looked at things from the perspective of being either right or wrong whereas my kaleidoscope was perpetually tinged with shades of grey. She couldn't fathom seeing Edward's treatment of me as anything but unpardonable.

And I . . . I didn't know where I stood.

On one hand, I knew he's been under as much stress about our situation as I have been. In a way, he's probably been worse off—torn between two people he loves, yet knowing that there was only one _right_ choice he could make. I wanted to talk to him, _needed_ to talk to him to figure out what was going on in his mind that had made him lash out at me. He'd gone on and on without letting me explain my side—that was what had incited my anger.

But the part that truly hurt was his accusation that I had been thinking of myself as opposed to Vanessa's betterment. After everything I'd done to carve a place for myself in his daughter's life, those words had wounded me deeply. It'd taken me the past six days to cope with that pain.

There'd been no communication between us in that time. The day after our argument, I'd happened to catch Vanessa's eyes outside the school building after the final bell had rung. She'd given me a small smile, raising her hand in a wave that I'd returned. She hadn't approached me though, and I was grateful for the reprieve. I would've had no idea what to say to her. She'd made her way toward the exit, while I'd rushed back inside, unwilling to face Edward if he'd been there to pick her up. He'd respected Rose's orders and hadn't made any attempt to contact me since the series of unreturned calls that fateful night. I knew he was waiting for me to make the next move.

I hadn't called him back because I hadn't been ready. I knew any conversation between us before I'd come to terms with everything in my own head would probably lead to another argument—something neither of us needed.

This morning, I'd finally woken up feeling much better about myself, confident that I hadn't done anything to deserve his inconsiderate words. I'd also tried to accept the fact that he must've had his reasons for behaving the way he did. Throughout this ordeal, he'd been steadfast in his support for me, even as he tried to balance it with keeping the peace with Vanessa. There must've been something that had triggered his outburst.

Until I knew what it was, I couldn't make a call on where we stood. I'd needed the space, but now, I was tired of the uncertainty. I tucked my hair behind my ear and sighed, feeling a little more confident about the decision I'd made.

I was going to call Edward tonight.

Rose had simply nodded when I'd told her so over breakfast this morning, but I didn't let it discourage me.

Until we talked, we'd never know if we could get past this.

The idea of being done with Edward left me breathless with agony. The more rational part of me though couldn't think of making any decision until I'd gotten some answers.

I looked at my watch and realized that my twenty-minute deadline had ended two minutes ago.

"Time's up!" I called and rose to my feet. "Let's begin—" A knock at the door was followed by a soft voice that interrupted me. I turned to find one a familiar face at the threshold.

"Miss Swan? May I come in?"

"Of course, Jane." I walked over to her, smiling when she took a step inside. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

She rocked on the balls of her feet and grinned at me. "Bathroom break. I just had to give you something."

"Oh, okay," I told her, holding out my hand.

I was puzzled when she dropped a small, gift-wrapped square in my palm. I was completely astounded when she'd spun around and run away before I could say another word.

I walked back to my desk in a haze and placed the little box on it. I stared at the box for a moment, unable to understand what'd just happened.

Jane was a student in Vanessa's class, the one I'd taught for almost six months last year. While there had been a few kids prone to bouts of strange behavior, I'd never believed Jane to be one of them. I couldn't imagine the motivation behind her actions. Even if she'd been here to give me a gift for some inexplicable reason, why had she run away without letting me respond?

The sound of a chair shifting on linoleum pulled me out of my thoughts. I spun around, startled to realize I'd forgotten about the thirty first-graders in the room who were now looking at me with varying degrees of surprise and curiosity. I cleared my throat and quickly grabbed my copy of the textbook.

"I'm sorry about that. Let's get back to work."

If I'd thought that would be the end of it, I couldn't have been more wrong.

The rest of the day passed with a repetition of the strange occurrences. Every half an hour or so, one of the kids from the second grade would drop in, hand me a little box identical to the first one, and dash away before I could question them.

By the time recess rolled around, I'd collected fourteen boxes from my ex-students. Once my kids rushed out to the playground, I finally found a moment to satisfy my burning curiosity. I tore into the gift wrap and opened the first box to find two things inside—a folded piece of paper and a piece of chocolate. I put them both on the table and realized it was a Hershey's kiss. I couldn't resist opening it up and popping it into my mouth while I unfolded the chit.

"A?" I muttered out loud. There was simply that one alphabet letter written on it. I turned it around to find the number _2_ scribbled in a corner and no other clue as to what the hell was going on.

One by one, I opened each box to find the same thing hidden inside. The chocolates were constant. But the letters in the chits were different each time, as were the numbers on the back. There were a few repetitions too, so I knew they weren't spelling out the entire alphabet.

I didn't realize how much time had passed as I tried to puzzle it out in my head until the bell had rung. I muttered a curse as I belatedly realized I could've used the free time to go over to Mrs. Marshall's class and figure out what was going on. But as my students made their way back into the room, I knew I'd lost my chance.

The second half of the day wasn't much different. Sixteen more kids left behind just as many tiny boxes for me. After a while, I didn't even bother to stop them. Clearly, they weren't going to answer my questions, and for some reason, I had the strange feeling that I needed to bide my time. Whatever was happening, it would make sense eventually.

Or so I hoped anyway.

Once I'd bid the final student goodbye, I nearly ran back to my desk. I fished out the unopened boxes from my drawer, grabbed the chits I'd already revealed from my purse, and spread them all out. I stared at them for a long moment, the mess of letters making no sense.

My eyes roamed across the surface over and over. One of the chits was creased in such a way that I could see a number written on the other side, and it was then that the realization struck me.

The numbers had a purpose.

Looking back, it seemed simple enough. But my brain had been too muddled to figure it out sooner. I quickly arranged the chits in increasing order of the numbers they bore. Once I'd finished, I stepped back and turned them around one by one.

My breath caught in my throat once I reached the tenth one.

 _I AM SO SORRY_

I swallowed thickly, ignoring the way my fingers shook as I continued my journey until the last bit of paper had been turned. My vision blurred, my eyes misting as they read the words laid out on the table.

 _I AM SO SORRY BELLA_

 _PLEASE FORGIVE ME_

I lifted a hand to my trembling lips, the other one clutching the edge of my desk so tightly that my fingers ached.

"Edward," I whispered. "Edward."

He'd done this . . . of course he had. But the kids . . .

Had Vanessa helped him?

I felt a soft touch on my hand as small fingers gently pried mine away from the wood. I looked down to find Vanessa's hazel eyes trained intently on my face.

"Hi," she whispered, and her lips curled up into a smile.

"Hi," I returned hoarsely.

My eyes prickled with moisture at the tenderness in her expression—something I'd never seen until today. She tugged at my hand, leading me toward the door. I was stunned, overwhelmed, and helpless to do anything but follow.

Vanessa walked confidently, never letting go of my hand. I could only look on in wonder as she led us to the gate. Only then did her steps falter. She stopped and turned to look at me with hesitation writ plainly on her face.

"He told me to let you choose and not to force you to come, but Bella, please. Please come," she requested and squeezed my hand.

I frowned, not completely understanding what she was saying. She drew in a deep breath before pulling me forward. We walked beyond the gate and that was when I saw him.

He stood a few feet away from us, leaning against his car which was parked to the side.

"Will you?" Vanessa asked me quietly. "Will you listen?"

I took another moment to stare at Edward, sensing his nerves in the way his hair was sticking up in all directions, the movement of his shuffling feet, and the tense posture of his body, as though he was having a hard time holding himself back from rushing closer to us.

I glanced at Vanessa and nodded once. Her little face brightened immediately. She wasted no time in leading me over to where Edward stood. She released my hand once we were close enough to be able to talk. With a hopeful smile aimed in my direction, she stepped back and made her way toward the other side of the car.

Giving us some privacy.

Edward didn't waste any time in getting down to business.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry. I was completely out of line. I should've listened to you instead of reacting so badly. I made a huge mistake by saying those things to you. I'm really sorry. I can't even explain . . ." his voice trailed off into silence, while I simply stared at him.

I waited for a beat, wondering if he would say something more. When he remained silent, I decided to speak up.

"That's it?" I asked him, my voice rising in time with my eyebrows as I gaped at him in disbelief. "That's all I get? _Sorry_?"

He was taken aback. "I—uh, I don't kno—"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You walked into the house as though you were armed and ready for battle. You laid in on me without letting me give any explanation to clear up your misunderstanding. I think I deserve to know what made you behave that way. I can't think of anything I did to make you so angry even before you listened to a word from my end."

"You're right," he agreed quietly. "You deserve to know, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to think I was making excuses. I wasn't angry when I came home—just tired and frustrated, but you had no role to play in that."

"Good to know. That's reassuring, but give me some credit here. I think I can make the distinction between an excuse and an explanation." I lifted my chin and held his gaze. " _I'm_ going to give you a chance to explain your behavior, Edward. _I'm_ willing to listen."

He winced when he caught the implication behind my phrasing. He didn't acknowledge it through words though, instead choosing to use them to tell me about what had gone on with him that day. Mindful of the fact that Vanessa was close by, he didn't go into details, but gave me a brief account of the patient he'd lost—a young woman who'd been robbed of life too soon and her fiancé, who'd lost everything he'd held dear to his heart.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen that shroud of pain veil his eyes; I'd spent several tender moments comforting him out of it in the past. He'd told me he'd never been comfortable expressing those emotions at the hospital. It was only in the quiet darkness of my room that he could allow himself to take time to accept and then move on from the harsh, but unavoidable realities of his job. The quiet, mournful tenor of his voice had always hit something deep within me, his pain resonating through my being as though it were my own.

Today was no different.

"And apart from that, there was . . . well, everything we'd discussed earlier in the day," he said, looking at me with deep meaning in his eyes. I nodded to let him know I understood he was talking about his guilt for neglecting his daughter. "I was blaming _myself_ , Bella. Not you. Never you. I spent all day thinking I had to make sure Nessie was alright. In order to do that, I knew I had to confront her once and for all. And if she . . . if she still disapproved of . . . _us_ , I couldn't bear to think of what that would mean," he sighed. "I had all of these thoughts nagging me throughout the day. The only hope I had was that maybe you'd gotten through to her somehow. Maybe the problems she had in class could be sorted out by a little extra help from you."

"And you came back to find us watching a movie together," I finished for him, shaking my head. "Still, Edward, you should've listened to what I was saying. The things you said to me . . ."

He didn't stop this time, taking a deliberate step closer until I had to tip my head up to look at him. He took my hand in both of his and held it tightly.

"Bella, even if you don't believe a word of anything else I told you, believe this—I didn't mean any of it," he murmured, his eyes burning with the intensity that rang through in his voice. "I know you would always put my daughter's well-being over anything else, just like you have been doing since you met her. _Please_ trust me when I say I know that. You've let me treat her as my first priority without any complaints. _You've_ treated her as your first priority. What I said in the heat of the moment was thoughtless nonsense. Words can't describe how grateful I am for the way you've handled everything that has happened in the past few months."

A few tears welled up in my eyes and trailed down my cheeks. He wiped them off with a gentle brush of his fingers.

"I love you, Bella. I love you, and I hate that I've hurt you so much. I hate that I can't take it back." He swallowed thickly. "I know an apology is not enough, but it's all that I have to offer . . . along with a promise to do my absolute best to ensure this never happens again. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

He inched another hesitant step closer to me, watching me carefully for a reaction, I guessed. I didn't know what he found, but it must not have been discouraging because he reached out to pull me into his arms. His hands splayed over my back, his warm breath brushed the strands of my hair, and I let my eyes close, sagging in his embrace. I couldn't help but hug him back, my face nestled in the dip of his shoulder.

"Oh, Bella," he whispered against my temple. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Please forgive me. Please, Bella. I'm really sorry."

All the fight in me melted away as his words, spoken in the most remorseful of tones overtook my senses. I didn't _want_ to fight anymore. It felt as though we'd already wasted too much time fighting one battle or another. His words had shattered me to pieces, and here he was, offering me the ones that could put me back together again.

I didn't have the strength to resist them.

I knew we had a long way to go. I knew we had things to work out. But in that moment, when he was holding me close, none of it seemed impossible.

"We need to talk about this more," I mumbled into his shirt.

He tightened his hold on me. "I know."

"You really hurt me, Edward. You know I've always seen Vanessa as—" I choked out, but he didn't let me finish.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

I pulled back to look into his eyes as a couple of tears escaped from mine. "If we're going to do this, you need to trust me with her. You need to know I would never want anything but the best for her. You can't question that again, Edward."

"I never did," he replied hoarsely. "Not until a moment when I was completely messed up and lost in my own mind. It'll never happen again."

"I might do something wrong. I'm not infallible. But you have to _talk_ to me about it instead of lashing out. Listen to me before you decide I'm wrong."

He nodded twice. "I know. I promise." He raised his hand to my face, grazing his fingertips along the curve of my jaw. "I know we'll need to work these things out, but I know we can do it, sweetheart. You're . . . you're _it_ for me. I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable with me, with _us_ again. Just give me a chance, Bella. _Please_ give me another chance." My eyes drifted shut when he pressed his forehead to mine. "Come home with us. Please come home."

A sigh shuddered past my lips, and my arms tightened around his neck.

"I love you," I whispered and opened my eyes.

His hands rose to frame my face as he pulled back and held my gaze. "Oh God, Bella. I love you so much." He leaned in and pressed his mouth to mine, our lips brushing gently at first, then growing bolder. My fingers fisted in his hair, while his wrapped around the small of my back, crushing me to his chest as we kissed. The taste of him, mingling with the salt of my tears made me tremble in his arms.

"Daddy? Bella?" Vanessa called tentatively, prompting us to break apart. A quiet chuckle escaped him, and my lips quirked up in response. "Why are you so quiet?"

Edward dipped his head to steal one last quick kiss before he allowed me to take a step back. He didn't let me get far though, wrapping an arm around my shoulders instead.

"Come out, Ness," he replied, and two seconds later, she was standing before us.

She peered at me through wide, hopeful eyes. "You forgive us?"

I smiled, nodded, and extended my hand toward her. She didn't hesitate to place her own in it, giving me a gentle squeeze. She beamed and bounced on her toes.

"Oh, I'm so happy! Thank you, Bella!"

"Thank _you_ for the sweet gesture. I can't believe you did that. Was Mrs. Marshall in on it?"

"Well, yeah, she had to be to allow everybody to come to you one by one. I told her that Daddy and I needed to say sorry to you. She was happy to help!"

I shook my head. "I can hardly believe that you did that."

Edward placed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I wanted to apologize to you without crowding you, and this way . . . well, you had an out if you wanted it." He flashed me a timid smile. "The chocolate was Nessie's idea."

I turned to her with raised eyebrows, and she nodded eagerly. "That's right. Kisses are the best. I always have one when I'm feeling sad. I didn't want you to be upset, Bella, that's why I thought you needed them."

"It was perfect," I told her honestly. "Thanks for thinking of me."

She grinned and then turned to Edward. "Let's get out of here, Daddy! We need to go home. Oh, wait! Can we go to the diner first? I have a lot of things to show Bella. Please, Daddy, can we go?"

"If Bella doesn't mind, then sure."

I took one look at her pleading little face and gave in with a shrug. "Sure, Vanessa. I don't mind at all."

"Oh, no! No, no, no," she chanted. "No more of that. You _have_ to call me Nessie. Ness is fine, too."

My insides somersaulted at her words, but I managed to refrain from displaying my surprise on my face. "If that's what you want."

"Uh-huh. I like Nessie better. Did you know Daddy hated that nickname when I was a baby? Mom liked it, so she kept calling me that, but Daddy always called me _Vanessa_. Even when I was too little for the name! Mom refused to give up, so after hearing it all around him, finally, one day, Daddy called me Nessie by mistake." She let out a giggle. "Then Mom told—"

"You know what, kiddo?" Edward cut her off and reached out to pull her to his side. "Why don't we get in the car? You can finish telling Bella your funny story as I drive."

Va— _Nessie_ laughed and batted at his hand. "You just don't like it because you lose in the story, Daddy. I'm still going to tell Bella! You can't stop me."

He shook his head, trying to appear stern, but the grin on his face betrayed him. "Just get inside the car, _Vanessa_."

My face also broke out into a smile when Nessie squealed and pulled me along with her. Edward helped us both into our seats before walking over to his side. Nessie sat in the back, but once she'd fastened her seatbelt, she leaned forward as far as possible so that she could continue telling me the story behind her name. I listened intently, laughing with her at the appropriate parts while Edward rolled his eyes at us.

He turned the engine on, then laced our hands together on the console between us. I looked up, and our gazes locked.

"I love you," he mouthed, squeezing my hand.

"I love you, too," I returned before turning my attention back to Nessie's chatter.

And for the first time since that disastrous dinner, I felt a sense of peace settle in the deepest recesses of my heart. For the first time, I found myself truly believing that maybe we'd be just fine.

We'd had our share of troubles, but who didn't? It certainly seemed as though we'd worked through a few years' worth of issues all at once.

I'd walked into this relationship knowing exactly what lay ahead of me. With Edward's hand in mine and a happy little girl who was finally in our corner, I'd gotten a glimpse into the promise the future could hold, and I knew it was worth it.

I wasn't naïve enough to believe that we would have no more problems. In fact, I was sure there would be some hurdles to cross as we moved forward. But this time, I knew we'd have each other at the end of the day. There was no longer a doubt in my mind about that.

And that was how I knew . . . we were going to be just fine.

* * *

 **A/N: Pics and updates: Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed (Facebook group) Follow the link on my profile.**

 **The epilogue will be up shortly.**


	11. Epilogue

**A/N:Honestly,** ** **I've been waiting to share this with you for months. I can hardly believe it's over now.****

 **TwiAddictAnne, I hope you've enjoyed my spin on your prompt.**

 **There's a lovely E/B manip that goes with this chapter, and it's available in my FB group, Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed. (Follow the link on my profile.) Do check it out. Rose's dress will be there as well.**

 **Let's take a peek into the future, shall we?**

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

 ** _Bella_**

I pursed my lips and blew out a huge breath. My stomach seemed jittery as though it'd been invaded by a thousand somersaulting butterflies. I rubbed a palm over my belly and tried to gather my composure before I looked at myself in the mirror.

A pair of bright, round eyes stared back at me with undisguised anticipation. Lush, maroon lips pulled up at the corners, curling into a smile that spoke of disbelief just as much as it did of excitement. My hand rose of its own accord to hover over them, not quite touching, but simply yearning to feel that smile under my fingertips. Maybe then it would feel like _mine_.

Since the moment I'd woken up today, my gut had been flip-flopping in tune with my pounding heart. But there'd been so much to do that I'd been able to put all that aside and focus on the task ahead of me. Now that everything was in place, I was sitting here alone with nothing to do but wait.

My nerves returned in full force, mingling with the joy bubbling inside me in such a fashion that I could barely distinguish the two. One moment, I could feel _everything_ , the gravity of what was to come overwhelming me in the most wonderful manner, but the next, I felt like an outsider looking into another world that seemed too idyllic to be my own.

The past year had been filled with an abundance of love and contentment. Still, those few months I'd spent believing I could lose it all made it hard to believe that this day was finally here—that everything I'd dreamed of would be mine forever within the next hour.

The door opened with a quiet groan, and I turned to see Nessie popping her head inside. Her face broke into a grin when she spotted me. She deftly lifted the hem of her dress by pinching its sides and hurried across the room. Our eyes met in the mirror as she placed her hands on my shoulders.

"You look so beautiful," she told me in a hushed whisper. I laid my hand over one of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you."

"Are you nervous?"

I rolled my eyes and let out a chuckle. "Terrified. I'm terrified."

"It's going to be just fine, Bella. Actually, it's going to be perfect!" She reached out to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. "You know what? I've been thinking . . . Now that we're making it official today, maybe we should come up with a name for you."

I raised my eyebrows at her reflection. "A name for me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I looked it up online last night. There were a few interesting choices."

"Such as?"

"Well, there were a lot of short forms. _Bonus Mom_ becomes B.M. _Other Mom_ becomes O.M. _Extra Mom_ becomes E.M." Her nose crinkled. "I'm not too sure about that. It sounds like E.T. You remember that weird movie that Dad made me watch and then he cried for an hour afterward?"

I stifled a laugh. "I remember. No E.M. then. I've never understood the concept of calling people by initials anyway."

Nessie threw her hands up in agreement. "I know, right? Let's forget those. I think next was _Steppy_." I couldn't hide my wince, and she giggled. "Okay, okay. Let's move on. Oh, there was one I liked. What do you think of being my _S'Mom_?"

"S'Mom," I tried it out loud. "Huh. It's a little like . . . s'more?"

"Yes!" she squealed. "That's exactly what I thought."

"If that's what you want." I smiled at her hesitantly, and she patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry. It's not permanent. I'll come up with something better. We've got loads of time now, right?"

"Absolutely," I agreed, my heart nearly bursting with joy at the thought. She leaned in to press a kiss to my cheek.

While I hoped she wouldn't choose to saddle me permanently with one of those questionable nicknames, I couldn't deny that the conversation had been successful at distracting me. The panic I was feeling had dulled down to an anxious flutter in my chest, but I could handle it. I kept my gaze away from the clock, knowing that watching the hands tick by slowly would probably set me off again.

It wasn't long before a more insistent knock sounded at the door, and Rosalie breezed into the room. She looked stunning in a floor-length midnight blue gown we'd picked out together, her golden hair twisted into a braided chignon at the nape of her neck. She sent Nessie a flying kiss before walking over to me.

She helped me to stand, mindful of the full skirt and the long train. I still remembered walking into the bridal store with no fixed ideas in my mind. But once my eyes had landed on the mannequin draped in this dress, I hadn't been able to get it out of my thoughts. The moment I'd tried it on, I knew I'd found my gown.

The strapless bodice flattered my chest and hugged my body up to my hips before flaring down to the hem. The long trail was something I knew I'd need to navigate carefully, but after a little practice, I was up to the task. Though I hadn't dreamed of a specific wedding dress, the one I'd chosen made me feel more elegant and beautiful than ever. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Once I was steady on my feet, Rose fidgeted with my necklace—a simple platinum chain with an intricate sapphire pendant. Esme and Carlisle had given it to me, welcoming me into their family the day after I'd accepted their son's proposal.

"Satisfied?" I asked her once she'd made sure it was placed just right in the hollow of my throat.

She grinned in response. "You look gorgeous, sweetie. I wouldn't be surprised if Edward runs halfway down the aisle because he can't wait for you to reach him."

Nessie giggled. "Aunt Rose, don't be silly! Dad will play nice because he knows Nana will yell at him if he doesn't."

"Ha! That's probably true, kiddo. Your Nana seems like a fierce woman. In fact, I think she was just looking for you out there. What are you doing in here?"

"Keeping Bella company," Nessie replied with a shrug. One side of her mouth pulled up into a smirk, and the obvious resemblance to Edward made me smile. "Where have _you_ been? Bella was nervous, you know. I was doing your job and keeping her calm."

Rose pressed her hands to her hips and raised a playful eyebrow at her. "Is that so?"

Nessie quickly adopted the same posture. "Uh-huh! She told me she was terrified. So I was distracting her."

I tuned them out, shaking my head indulgently as they went off on their tangent, as usual. Watching them together now, it was hard to believe there was a time when Rose had considered Vanessa as nothing more than a hindrance to my relationship with Edward. I knew it'd been solely because of her unfailing loyalty to me, so when the time came, I hadn't been too hesitant in introducing them to each other. Once Nessie had given up on her animosity, Rose had found no reason to dislike her. Instead, the two of them had hit it off quite well. Their mutual tendency to voice exactly what they were thinking often led to interesting exchanges, their frank natures meshing well to create a solid friendship.

My eyes landed on Nessie when she lifted herself up on her tiptoes in an attempt to stare down Rose.

A little over a year had passed since the day I'd met her for the first time as her father's girlfriend, and I couldn't believe how much she'd changed since then. It was clear that she was going to take after Edward in the matter of her height given the way she'd shot up in the past few months. Now, a couple of weeks shy of her ninth birthday, she was merely a few inches shorter than me. I had no doubt it was a gap she'd cover in no time. She looked even taller today, decked in a pair of low-heeled pumps. The deep blue of her dress complemented her alabaster skin perfectly, and a silver belt clinched it at her waist. Rose had styled her hair into a braid reminiscent of her favorite Disney princess.

For a moment, she looked so grown up that the sight of her made my eyes brim with tears. I blinked them away before Rose could lecture me about spoiling my makeup.

My relationship with Nessie had grown leaps and bounds in the past year. We'd spent a lot of time together and had gotten to know each other much better. I'd tutored her for a few months until she'd gotten the hang of things enough to catch up with the rest of her class. Afterward, she'd felt confident enough to manage her studies on her own and only occasionally asked for my guidance.

Reading was the activity that'd dominated our time together, and to my delight, that had continued to date. Once she was able to grasp the basics of language, Nessie had realized that she loved losing herself in the world of fiction as much as I did. I relived my childhood by reading almost all of _Enid Blyton's_ series with her since mystery had quickly become her favorite genre. We were currently working our way through the first Harry Potter book. I'd watched the movies but hadn't read the books, so it was even more exciting to enjoy the experience for the first time with her.

While we were similar in our love for the written word, we differed with regard to the endings. I preferred to be surprised whereas Nessie was happier when she was able to figure out the suspense before the climax. But regardless of that, we'd found a common ground we could use to bond, and I'd been thrilled when she'd seemed just as eager to share it with me.

We'd come so far since that first dinner that it seemed almost unbelievable. Despite everything though, I wouldn't trade the trying times for anything in the world. It might not have been easy to see the silver lining then, but they _had_ brought us closer together. The uncertainty that'd loomed over our future had taught us to cherish it and hold on to it once it was within our reach.

That was why it'd been so easy to say yes when Edward had asked me to marry him.

He'd taken Nessie's blessing before he'd gotten down on his knee and looked at me through his jade eyes, raw and brimming with hope as he'd asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I'd whispered a quick and blubbering, "Yes!" before throwing myself into his welcoming arms.

The sound of Nessie's giggles brought me back to the present. I focused my attention on her conversation with Rose and was surprised to find the latter blushing and shuffling her feet. I had to listen for a moment before I gathered that Nessie was teasing her about a certain Emmett Cullen.

"Well, well," I chimed in with a smirk. "The maid of honor and the best man, huh? Isn't that a little cliché, Rose? I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

She rolled her eyes at both of us before pinning me with her pointed gaze. "Lady, you've found your happily ever after. The rest of us have a bit of work to do to get there, so why don't you leave us to it, hmm?"

Nessie turned to look at me, and we suppressed our chuckles while Rose stepped forward to grab my veil. The color in her cheeks was still high as she placed the tiara over my head, but I decided not to tease her further.

I'd met Emmett for the first time a few months ago at Edward's parents' anniversary party. Edward had been eager to introduce him to me and had regaled me with countless stories of the mischief the two cousins had gotten into during their childhood. After having taken one look at Emmett's impish grin and baby blue eyes, I could easily imagine how the duo must've gotten away with it.

Rose had only met Emmett for the first time at our rehearsal dinner, but judging by the way she was behaving now, it seemed obvious that his charm had affected her a fair bit. From what I knew of him, he seemed like a great guy. If the two of them had really hit it off, I was excited to see where that spark led them.

The soft strains of piano music floated over to us, and my eyes grew wide. The breath in my lungs came out in a whoosh, chasing away all thoughts right out of my head.

Rose smiled and placed her hands on my shoulders. "It's time. Ready?"

I bobbed my head jerkily in some semblance of a nod. Rose bit her lip, obviously stifling a laugh at my expense, but I didn't care.

There was only one thing on my mind now— _Edward_. He was out there, waiting for me.

Nessie stepped forward, and her eyes twinkled with excitement. "You're going to be fine. Oh, I can't wait!" she told me before kissing my cheek. "Welcome to the family, S'Mom!" She waved and quickly made her way out of the room.

My father walked in before the door shut behind her. I looked up at him and smiled as I watched him fidget with the sleeves of his tuxedo.

"You deserve everything you've ever wanted, and I'm so, so happy for you, Bella. Love you," Rose whispered, squeezing my hand one last time before she left, too, giving me a moment alone with Dad.

Despite our strained relationship, from the moment I'd realized I was going to get married, I hadn't been able to picture my wedding without my parents being by my side. They'd made their share of mistakes, but I couldn't bear to think of denying the little girl inside me who'd dreamed of walking down the aisle on my father's arm. So I'd plucked up the courage to grab the phone and dial the two numbers I hadn't even looked up in several months.

Both Mom and Dad been skeptical of my decision when they'd first heard about my fiancé being the father of a nine-year-old girl. As much as I'd wished to mend fences, it could only happen if they were willing to keep an open mind and respect my choices. I was no longer the helpless girl who'd had no say in the matters of her life, but I had chosen not to argue with them or defend myself. Instead, I'd simply invited them over to spend a couple of days with Edward, Nessie, and me. Watching us together had been enough to convince my parents that we weren't walking into this blindly. We'd worked on building a life where the three of us fit together, and I was glad when they both admitted—separately, of course—that they could see and accept that.

Reticent as ever, Dad seemed to be at a loss of words even now. He cleared his throat as we stood in front of each other. There was nothing poignant to share, given than we hardly knew each other anymore. But even if he couldn't express it, I knew he was happy to be here. That was all that mattered to me.

I could safely assume that my mother must've already taken her seat, but that was the extent of my knowledge. She hadn't dropped by to see me before the ceremony. I didn't know if she'd cry or smile as I walked down the aisle. The thought saddened me, but only for a moment. I was cautiously hopeful that the interactions we'd had in the past few weeks were a step in the right direction.

"Shall we?" Dad said eventually. He held out his arm and flashed me a small smile. I didn't hesitate to return it as I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow.

There was no room for anything besides happiness in my heart today.

Dad pulled the door open just as the music changed. I recognized Rose's cue and pictured her walking down the aisle with her usual grace.

And then it was our turn.

My fingers tightened their grip, digging into my father's arm, but he didn't complain. Instead, he brought his free hand up to place over mine and held it steadily. I kept my eyes on my feet as we walked.

The murmurs in the crowd died down into a respectful hush as we came into their line of vision. We paused for a second, and I drew in a slow, deep breath before I raised my head to take in the wondrous sight I knew I'd never, ever forget.

The crowd around me faded away as my eyes landed on Edward waiting for me at the end of the aisle. The grip of my father's hand on mine was the only thing binding me to the present, my senses focused on nothing but the brilliant smile that broke out on Edward's face when our gazes locked.

From then on, every moment of the next hour was a precious memory I knew I'd cherish for the rest of my life—Edward's fingers twining with mine when my father placed my hand in his, the minister's earnest voice as he spoke the words that'd bind us together forever, the raw emotion in Edward's eyes and the jubilant tenor of his voice as he promised to love me for the rest of our lives and beyond, and the thunderous applause from our loved ones as our lips met for the first time as husband and wife.

After the ceremony, our guests gathered around for the reception. Drinks and conversation flowed freely around the large hall until the air itself seemed suffused with joy. Edward and I managed to find a quiet corner to sneak into before we had to join the crowd.

"Can you believe it?" he whispered roughly. His fingers stroked the curve of my cheek, the metal of my ring on his finger feeling cool and unbelievably sensual against my flushed skin.

I didn't need any more context to understand what he was saying. I'd spent all day feeling the same way.

"There was a time I was afraid we'd only get to this day in my dreams," I confessed.

He drew me closer and dipped his head to capture my lips in a searing kiss I felt right down to my toes. I threw my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair.

"You _are_ my dream, Bella." He pulled back and cupped my face in his palms. My eyes fell shut when he leaned in to place a soft kiss to my forehead. "My dream . . ." His lips found the apple of my cheek. "My life . . ." I whimpered when he trailed a path down to the corner of my mouth. "My wife . . ."

I tugged at his hair and caught his lips in a fierce kiss, not letting him go until we were both gasping for breath. He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and smiled widely.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you, too," I sighed, nestling into his chest. "So much."

We stole a few more minutes and stayed there, wrapped up in each other until a knock on the door pulled us out of our little bubble. Edward kissed me one last time before he took my hand and pulled the door open. I squeezed his fingers, grinning as we walked out of the room, only to be greeted by a loud round of applause and good-natured catcalls. He let go of my hand and draped an arm around my shoulders instead. Together, we stepped further into the hall filled with our loved ones waiting to shower us with hugs and best wishes.

It was time to begin the rest of our life together.

* * *

 **A/N: Before you leave, allow me to pass on my sincere thanks for staying on with me until the end. I tried to do something different, and I hope I've succeeded in achieving my goal of entertaining you.**

 **I'm grateful to the little bunch of people who made this possible—** **EdwardsFirstKiss, SassYNoles, Pamela, Diane. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into my little story.**

 **I'll be starting on the review replies tomorrow.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Until next time,**

 **~FR**


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